Address at opening of Brisbane's new runway, 12 July 2020

E&OE

Subjects: Opening of Brisbane’s new runway

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Well thank you so much, and I too acknowledge the traditional owners. I too acknowledge the Governor. I acknowledge the Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk and Minister Jones. I acknowledge my Federal colleagues, I know I have Julian Simmonds here and I’ve got Trevor Evans here and I acknowledge the Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor, I should say, Adrian Schrinner. I acknowledge David the Chairman, Gert the CEO. I acknowledge Paul Scurrah and appreciate the work you have done, Paul, to ensure Virgin are on the tarmac, but that Virgin has a future. So I do acknowledge that and I acknowledge everyone here because you all are important and today is a wonderful day as the Premier has just said.

What an exciting, exciting day. And of course, it has been decades in the dreaming. It’s been a couple of years in the planning, it’s been eight years in the building. The Governor couldn’t wait to snip the ribbon, it’s happened! [Cheers from the audience]. We’ve opened the runway. Well done. Well done Queensland, it truly is a great Queensland moment, but – it is a truly great national moment. This is a runway for all Australians. We’ve had 3,700 workers at the peak of construction on that runway, making sure that it is the best of the best. We’ve had so many people reliant on its opening today. We’ve got Queensland back open for business. It is truly an exciting day.

I see down here that we’ve even got a time capsule to be opened 50 years from now. We’ve got a copy of the Courier Mail, will newspapers be here in 50 years, who knows. 50 years from now, Queensland will have won another 48 State of Origins [Laughter from the audience]. From a New South Wales point of view, I think I can say that I’m probably outnumbered very much. But, who knows what is going to happen 50 years from now? But rest assured, Queensland will be here. Queensland will be thriving. Queensland will be booming. This airport – 70 Queensland jobs. For every 70 people – I’ll get this right. One in 70 Queensland jobs rely on this airport. I think that is worth a clap [Applause from the audience]. Not just because I got it right, but on the mere fact that it just goes to show how many people rely on this airport to be thriving. How many people will rely on this airport for a job, for work, and as a regional member, I know how important it is for regional Queenslanders to be able to get in and out of Brisbane. To be able to get to their workplace and of course that is not to mention the tourism. How good is Queensland when it comes to tourism. Of course, it is the Mecca for tourist destinations in Australia and I’m sure the Premier will say, the world.

It’s a fantastic place, it’s back open for business. We will get through COVID, don’t worry about that. The runway is open, it can only go up from here. It is truly the flight path to the future, the flight path to success. I congratulate everybody involved. Thank you very much.