I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
I acknowledge our distinguished guests, in particular all the members of the Australian Paralympic Team.
Men and women from every part of our country, who all of us will be cheering for when the games begin at the end of August.
It is an honour to join with all Australians in wishing all of you and every member of our Paralympic Team every success in Paris.
Every one of you representing our country at the Paralympics also represent years of dedication and determination.
The extraordinary commitment required to reach the absolute pinnacle of your sport and to compete against the best in the world.
So much of that hard work is done on cold mornings like this, days when I’m sure the warmth of the French summer or the glow of the international spotlight seems a world away.
And that’s where the sacrifice and support of your families, your coaches, your training partners and teammates is so important - and why they will feel such deep pride in seeing you on the world stage.
The Paralympics represent so much that is great about sport.
The lasting power it has to teach us, unite us and inspire us.
The success of Team Australia means so much to our nation.
And our Government is proud to be investing in that success.
In May, we committed $250 million to the redevelopment of the Australian Institute of Sport.
And I was delighted that the Co-Captain of Team Australia for 2024, Angie Ballard was with the Minister for Sport and me at the AIS last Friday, as we announced record new funding for our Olympians and Paralympians.
$283 million in new money, on top of $102 million in annual grant funding.
Including an additional $54.9 million for Paralympic Sport – the single biggest increase in Paralympic investment by an Australian Government.
We are doubling the national funding for Paralympic programs.
That means better, fit-for-purpose training facilities.
Ongoing financial support for elite athletes.
New specialised coaching and high performance support.
And more access to domestic and international competitions – testing yourselves against the best.
This is about breaking-down those systemic barriers that have been ignored for too long.
Investing in your success - and investing in the success of the next generation as well.
All the girls and boys who will be watching on at home, seeing what you achieve in Paris and dreaming of doing the same in Brisbane in 2032.
That’s what is so powerful about what you do.
You bring all Australians together to cheer for you.
You demonstrate the greatness of the Paralympic ideal, spirit in motion.
And you inspire young Australians to strive for greatness themselves.
We wish you all the very best of success in Paris.
And we know you will do Australia proud.