Olympic Torch

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Speakers - Lynn The Hon Charlie
Business - Adjournment

OLYMPIC TORCH

The Hon. C. J. S. LYNN [4.44 p.m.]: I congratulate the Federal Government on approaching the head of the International Olympic Committee to have the Olympic torch run across the Kokoda Trail on its way to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as a tribute to the sacrifices that were made and in recognition of the peace and prosperity that we enjoy in Australia today. I also congratulate the Federal Government on recommending that the torch be taken to Bougainville in an endeavour to achieve peace between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. That would do more to bring about true and lasting peace between those two warring factions than any other gesture.

I hope also that Papua New Guineans will take the torch by canoe to Thursday Island, and hand it over to Thursday Islanders in a ceremonial fashion. The Thursday Islanders could take the torch by canoe across Endeavour Strait and hand it over to the Aborigines, who in turn could run it down Cape York Peninsula, perhaps to Cairns, where it would be handed over to the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. This gesture would symbolise the indigenous settlement of this country and contribute greatly towards reconciliation. It would involve our neighbours in our former mandated territory, Papua New Guinea, in the spirit of the Olympic Games. Papua New Guinea is a troubled country and this would help to unite that country and enable it to share in the spirit of the Olympic Games. I congratulate the Federal Government on this wonderful initiative.

Last modified 05/12/2007 16:36:44 : Update this page