I am very pleased to announce today funding of $20 million to the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney as the Australian Government's direct funding contribution to the costs of hosting World Youth Day in Sydney, July 2008.
Half of this funding ($10 million) will be provided this financial year to assist with planning and organising the week-long event. The remaining funds will be provided in 2007-08 to support staging World Youth Day. Additionally, the Australian Government will bear other costs, such as visa facilitation and security and will be responsible for the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in connection with World Youth Day.
World Youth Day 2008 is a wonderful opportunity for young people from around the world to meet and celebrate their faith in the beautiful setting of Sydney and its surrounding regions. In a time of increasing global change, World Youth Day is an important way for our young people to come together to affirm our common values of peace, tolerance and understanding.
To mark the start of events leading up to World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, I have asked my Parliamentary Secretary, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, to travel to the Holy See this weekend to represent the Australian Government and to take part, with His Eminence Cardinal Pell and New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma, in the hand-over of the World Youth Day Cross at St Peter's Basilica. This hand-over, in the presence of the Holy Father and youth from Germany and Australia, symbolises handing over the mission for World Youth Day to Australia.
I have also asked Malcolm Turnbull, together with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon Bob Baldwin MP and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Pat Farmer MP to represent the Australian Government on the organising committee for World Youth Day 2008.
I commend Cardinal Pell for his vision and his tireless work to bring World Youth Day to Australia in 2008. Australians, no matter their faith, look forward to the visit of the Holy Father and the youth of the world for World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney.