Pauline Hanson: “Cancel Trad-era thinking, cancel 2032 Olympic Games bid”
MEDIA RELEASE
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says it’s now time for the Queensland Government to push aside outdated Trad-era thinking and cancel its bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
Senator Hanson said it was foolish of Treasurer Cameron Dick to press forward with the bid when the state’s finances were in dire straits due to the Covid-19 economic fallout.
“Australia is not getting through this virus unscathed, we will be well and truly broke, and it’s foolish to think the 2032 Games bid should proceed and take priority above the rebuilding of life and the economy of Queensland,” Senator Hanson said.
“Treasurer Cameron Dick clearly lacks the foresight and wisdom to scrap the plans of the Trad-era and stop the games bid, just as I’ve been saying for months.”
Senator Hanson has long campaigned against the 2032 Games bid due to the massive costs and budget blowouts that have historically plagued the host nations, in spite of both Labor and Liberal embracing the idea with little apparent regard for the debilitating costs.
“The financial risks are too great, the situation here is too dire, and we face years of financial challenges that we should not blindly worsen by adding billions of dollars to that mounting bill,” Senator Hanson said.
The 2000 Sydney Olympics were budgeted at $3.2b but the final cost was $6.9b – more than double the budget! The 2008 Beijing Olympics were budgeted at $20b but cost $45b, the 2012 London Olympics were budgeted at $5b but cost $18b, and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games were budgeted at $14b but cost $20b.
Senator Hanson noted that when Tokyo won the 2020 bid, estimates of the cost were $11.3-billion, but with cost blowouts and the Covid-19 delays the estimated total exceeds $50-billion.
“Hosting the Olympics is like cream on the cake, but we don’t have money for that cream right now; every family and small business today needs to make sensible budgeting decisions, and the government is no different,” Senator Hanson said.
“We can’t hand over blank cheques to the International Olympic Committee who take great delight in spending other people’s money when we can least afford it.
“We need the money to go where it’s needed most, and bidding for the Olympics is way down the list of priorities – nation-building infrastructure must come first.”
Senator Hanson urged Treasurer Cameron Dick, the Australian Olympic Committee and the SEQ Council of Mayors to consider Queensland’s plunging finances and scrap the Brisbane Olympics bid.
The Australian Government has so far pitched in $10-million toward the bid, with Queensland likely contributing a similar amount.
