I rise in support of the motion moved by the member for Lindsay and to show my support for the almost 7,000 athletes that will be competing in the Commonwealth Games beginning on the Gold Coast next week—in particular the Australian team of 710, including 473 athletes and 119 Queenslanders who will don the green and gold to do our country proud. A special mention goes to a former student of St John's Anglican College at Forest Lake, Trae Williams, who will be competing in the 100-metre sprint. Whether they be athletes, coaches or support staff, we know that each and every one of them has sacrificed so much and shown incredible commitment to their craft to be part of the Australian team. I congratulate each and every one of them.

I also pay tribute to the team's chef de mission, the legendary marathon runner Steve Moneghetti AM, who will be performing the role for the third time. Recently Steve announced:

One of the themes for the Australian Team for Gold Coast 2018 is Greater Together … It is embracing the importance of every role within the 710 strong Team.

Greater Together is about celebrating all those family, friends and loved ones who have been part of the journey to Gold Coast 2018.

It is about being proud that our team represents the millions of Australians cheering from the stands and watching our athletes strive for success on TV.

This will be Australia's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games and will mark the fifth time we've hosted the games, having done so previously in 1938, in Sydney; 1962, in Perth; 1982, in my home town of Brisbane; and, most recently, in 2006, in Melbourne.

But the road to hosting the games is not an easy one, and tonight I want to pay tribute to the Queensland state Labor government in 2008, under Premier Anna Bligh, that led the charge to secure the games against a competing bid from Sri Lanka. Indeed, it was on 22 August 2008 that the Premier officially launched the Gold Coast bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018, which set off a chain of events, including negotiations for the centrepiece of the games, Carrara Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies. This is the same stadium that the then LNP in Queensland rejected funding for, in the same Gold Coast city for which the then state LNP—which some members here in this Chamber belong to—rejected funding things like light rail. Members opposite shake their heads. They need to go back in time and realise that it was the LNP that opposed the $144 million upgrade to Carrara—opposed it every step of the way.

We know that since that time the state Labor government, under the leadership of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and the minister appointed to the Commonwealth Games, Kate Jones, have championed the games' success. Writing in The Courier Mail, Minister Jones said:

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will deliver a multi-billion boost for our state and support thousands of jobs. It is not just about 11 days of sporting action, it's an opportunity for businesses to capitalise on the biggest and best event in Gold Coast history.

Further to success on the field in the pool or the track, the Queensland economy also stands to be a big winner. The local tourism industry in particular stands to benefit the most from the more than 600,000 visitors who will spend more than $320 million in Queensland during the event.

With a broadcast audience of around 1.5 billion, this event will put Queensland on the map as a global powerhouse for major events.

On so many levels, the Commonwealth Games is a game changer for Queensland, and a golden opportunity for businesses to take centre stage and showcase all that Queensland has to offer.

I also want to tonight acknowledge the pivotal role that former Queensland Premier and games chairman Peter Beattie has played in promoting the games to Australia and the world. Peter has been at the forefront of the games to ensure the success of the games and Queensland's success as not only the sporting state but also the smart state when it comes to capitalising on all that the games have to offer.

Perhaps the most important level of congratulations and best wishes goes to the athletes themselves. Although there are 53 member of the Commonwealth, we will see 71 teams participate in the games, as a number of dependant territories compete under their own flags, such as Great Britain's England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland In our very own Australian team, there are 473 athletes, capped off by the selection of 99-year-old George Corones as an honorary 474th and final selection. I also acknowledge the 61 para-athletes who have been named in the Australian team. To the athletes competing: know that Australia stands shoulder to shoulder with you as you compete at the games, and that, whether you win, lose or draw, you've done your nation proud. We wish you all the very best of luck.