World Youth Day 2008

Ms VIRGINIA JUDGE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Ageing, and Minister for Disability Services. Will she update the House on planning for World Youth Day 2008 and how this event will compare with the Sydney Olympics?

Ms KRISTINA KENEALLY: I thank the member for Strathfield, who has been assisting the local Maronite youth community in her electorate to prepare for World Youth Day, for her question. World Youth Day 2008 is billed as the largest youth event in the world. It is a huge six-day celebration from 15 to 20 July that will attract some 225,000 people to Sydney for what will be the largest event on the globe this year, outside the Beijing Olympics. Hosting major events is good for New South Wales, good for Sydney, and good for Australia. World Youth Day 2008 again will put Sydney on the map as a premium event host. Like the Olympics, the crowd drawn to Sydney for World Youth Day will create a celebratory and positive atmosphere—distinctly different from that created by the Opposition. The scale of World Youth Day events is comparable to the Sydney Olympics, but these are very different types of events.

A significant difference between the World Youth Day celebrations and the Olympics is the cost. The Iemma Government will spend $86 million to support World Youth Day being held in Sydney. Compare that figure to what was spent on similar government services for the Sydney Olympics—$390 million. World Youth Day will cost less than a quarter of the cost of the Sydney Olympics. The New South Wales Government is spending $86 million on the provision of in-kind support services, which include additional public transport, additional emergency services and security, for an event that is estimated by the Sydney Chamber of Commerce to bring in $231 million in economic benefits to the State. This event will stand Sydney in good stead when bidding for other major world events—so FIFA World Cup organisers had better tune in. World Youth Day is an event worth hosting. That is recognised by the fact that World Youth Day enjoys bipartisan support. That was until three weeks ago—when Gladys spoke up. I know members of the House will be surprised that the member for Willoughby publicly criticised the Minister for Transport.

Mr John Watkins: I was hurt.

Ms KRISTINA KENEALLY: I know; we were surprised. But three weeks ago Gladys spoke up on radio and said that the Government had not been consulting enough with the private bus industry about World Youth Day. Today she said that it is true. Gladys obviously did not realise that on the same day on the same radio station she was corrected by the same private industry that she sought to be speaking for. What did that private bus industry say?

The SPEAKER: Order! Is the member for Epping rising on a point of order?

Mr Greg Smith: I am just getting a drink of water.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind all members to address other members by their correct titles.

Ms KRISTINA KENEALLY: In an act of Christian charity, I suspect the member for Epping supports World Youth Day, and I thank him for that. The Ministry of Transport is working with the private bus industry. That is what the private bus industry had to say; it endorsed the Iemma Government's plans for World Youth Day. Then only two weeks ago the Leader of The Nationals consolidated the Opposition's stance against World Youth Day, coming out in the media and publicly banging on about it all being terribly expensive. As I said, the Iemma Government is spending $86 million, and we are getting $231 million of economic benefit. One would have thought that even the Leader of The Nationals could understand those numbers. To be generous, maybe he had a rush of blood to the head; he was the acting Leader of the Opposition. Maybe when he grabbed the reins of power from the Leader of the Opposition—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Terrigal is having difficulty hearing the Minister. Members will stop talking to their colleagues while the Minister is answering the question.

Ms KRISTINA KENEALLY: The outburst by the Leader of The Nationals shows that Opposition members will say anything or do anything for a cheap headline or to get their names in the paper. They will even split from their own leader. Let us not forget that the Leader of the Opposition sits on the local organising committee for World Youth Day. Opposition members have both feet in their mouths on the World Youth Day issue. One might even say that they are in World Youth Day disarray. Another major difference between the Olympics and World Youth Day is the scale of the event across the city and the number of international visitors who will attend. Olympic sporting events were held at about 30 event sites. World Youth Day sites include 700 accommodation sites, 300 catechesis or teaching sites, and more than a dozen major event sites plus at least 50 youth festival sites throughout the Sydney area. About 110,000 Games time specific international visitors came for the Sydney Olympics. Event organisers are expecting 125,000 international visitors for World Youth Day. In addition to the overseas element, organisers tell us that 100,000 Australians, including 40,000 Sydneysiders, will register to attend World Youth Day celebrations.

As with the Olympics, World Youth Day is presenting a number of first-time events for Sydney. The Pope's final mass will be the first time that we have catered for a crowd as large as 500,000 people. I am advised that a gathering of this size at the same place and time has never before been held in Australia's history. The World Youth Day opening mass will be the first event ever held at Barangaroo, the old Patrick stevedore site. World Youth Day will see the first papal boat-a-cade on Sydney Harbour, and it will be the first visit by the current Pope, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The New South Wales Government has more expertise than any other government in Australia in organising major global events. We are working closely with the organisers, World Youth Day 2008, to ensure the successful and smooth running of all events and activities that will take place for World Youth Day. We are well placed to put on one of the biggest events this city has ever seen.

Question time concluded.