Welcome home Olympians

Well, thanks very much Giaan.

And I also begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respect to elders, past, present and emerging.

To Her Excellency, Sam Mostyn, the Governor-General of Australia, to Peter Dutton, the Leader of the Opposition, Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, Matty Thistlethwaite, a very proud local member here for Kingsford-Smith, Catherine King, the Minister for Transport, other distinguished guests, particularly, of course, our Olympians. It is my great honour to welcome the Olympians home, here officially.

Of course we know, that before the plane took off yesterday, you had already etched your names into Australian sporting history.

I do want to take a moment to thank Vanessa and Qantas for once again reminding us of why every serious country in the world understands the importance of having a national airline. Bringing Australians home, and once again, looking after Australians, as you always do.

Congratulations to the Chef de Mission, with her wonderful children here, enjoying the welcome home. She's wrangled all those athletes, for the last couple of weeks, but now she's got a real challenge on her hands, because they are very excited children, as they should be.

Every single one of these athletes has done us proud.

As the athletes went down the stairs there, not everyone had a medal around their neck but every single one of them was worth their weight in gold. Every single one of them has done our country proud.

For those of us who were back here, staying up late, getting up early, we want you to know, that what you have done, is inspire us, give us joy, give us excitement, and lifted up our whole nation due to your performance. Whether it was winning gold, winning silver, or winning bronze.

A record number of gold medals, our best overseas number of medals ever, our most successful Olympic team ever.

But it was a success that wasn't just counted in medals. A success is counted in how you carried yourselves as athletes and as representatives of Australia.

I was talking before about some of the great moments.

Jess, you had a couple of good moments in the kayak, but you also had a great moment jumping in when your sister won a gold medal. The families, and that just said a lot about the spirit.

Just as Lauren Jackson did at the Opals game, where she wasn't on the court, but, boy, she was making a contribution to the team.

It was that spirit, that was embodied in this team.

Anna, I know that you are so proud, because that spirit does come from the top.

It's a spirit that's embodied by the fact that it wasn't just the athletes.

It's the coaches, it's the parents, it's the volunteers, it's the siblings, it's all those people at the local sport because every Olympian begins at Little Athletics or begins on the local community sporting field, in the local club.

You have certainly done us proud.

I make this point, as well, that at a time when every single Australian parent on the sideline this weekend will be having discussions with other parents about how they get their kids off their devices, out of their lounge rooms and onto the netball courts, into the swimming pools, onto the track, onto the sporting fields, what you have done is inspire a generation.

A generation who were watching there in Paris and will be thinking to themselves, I can make it in Brisbane 2032.

That will once again be Australia, hosting a fantastic Olympic Games, that I'm very confident we will get done.

I want to thank you for what you've done for Australia in the last fortnight.

I particularly want to acknowledge the legacy that you will leave.

Long after you stop getting up in the morning to do those laps up and down the pool, long after you stop riding around the velodrome in training, there will be young ones who watched you, who have been inspired by you, and who'll replicate your deeds in coming Olympic Games.

What's more, whether they do that or not, what's important is that they participated.

We know that sport gives us a lesson.

It helps with our health, it teaches us how to relate to each other, teaches us how to win, teaches us how to not win, and to deal with adversity, which everyone has to deal with.

At a time where there's so much turmoil in the world, it also teaches us that when we come together in peace and celebration of our common humanity, the whole world benefits.

That's what the Olympic spirit is all about.

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