Well thank you very much Premier, your excellency and Mrs Landy, to Rod Kemp and Justin Madden, Lord Mayor, Ron Walker, the Chairman of the organising committee, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
What a beautiful morning here in Melbourne and it';s a great delight for me to participate in this very important event here in what is undeniably the sporting capital of Australia. And the Commonwealth Games of Melbourne in 2006 will I';m sure join and add to the lustre of Australia';s reputation for staging successful international sporting events. Of course Melbourne is sill remembered by people around the world for the wonderful hosting of the 1956 Olympic Games, in more recent years of course we';ve had the wonderful success of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and most recently the magnificently organised and enjoyed Rugby World Cup which not only enthralled the more traditional rugby playing parts of Australia but many other parts of our nation.
But here in this beautiful Autumn setting can I say on behalf of the Federal Government that our support, and it';ll not just be rhetorical, it will be the flesh and blood of support and there';ll be something said further about that at an appropriate time next month by somebody who is a very strong supporter of the Commonwealth Games as well.
But ladies and gentlemen we are 100 per cent in our enthusiastic support, these are events that cross Commonwealth and State and party political lines, they are events that command the support and the attention and the affection of the whole community. We are a great sports loving nation and Australians enjoy nothing better than working together to make sure that a sporting event is a great success.
The Commonwealth Games have the reputation of being the friendly games, they bring together the nations comprising a third of the world';s population and once again we';ll be able to put on display what a magnificently friendly country Australia is, what a very civil and hospitable city and livable city Melbourne is and I know that everybody connected with the Games will want to make them a very, very great success.
All Commonwealth Games have Mascots and I remember the Mascot from the Brisbane Games of 1982, and I can remember mascots from other Commonwealth Games that have been held since then and previously. So ladies and gentlemen I have very, very great pleasure in formally announcing and launching the mascot for the Commonwealth Games of 2006, Karak.