Opening the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Opening the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games - Geoffrey Hort - 4 November 1999 - Sylvano's Blog - Gnomon Publishing

Sylvano's
Blog
Sylvano

"A blog sounds like
something that blocks
the S-bend..."

Ancient Olympics by Richard Tames
In association with amazon.com

Geoffrey Hort

Thursday 4^th November 1999

Despite the best efforts of SOCOG and the IOC, the true spirit of the Olympic Games lies in the pursuit of high ideals. In particular the Games are explicitly stated to be non-political in the hope that countries will compete in a spirit of goodwill and good sportsmanship regardless of their differences. In order to help achieve the non-political aim of the Games, the practice is that they be opened by the host country's Head of State, not its head of government.

John Howard is despised by many Australians. His government has been particularly divisive. Given his position on the republic, that the Queen and the Governor-General are acceptable as Head of State, it is the height of hypocrisy for him to wish to open the Games.

The Head of State is the personification of the Nation and is above the grubby world of politics. Whenever a high court judge needs to be appointed or a bill, after passing through Parliament, needs to be formally made law or the whole of Australia needs to be represented in a non-controversial, non-political, unifying way, the Head of State performs this function.

The Olympic Games must be opened by Australia's Head of State, which currently (and embarrassingly) is the Queen and her Australian representative the Governor-General, not by a self-serving politician.

end of rant.

(C)opyright Geoffrey Hort.

ARCHIVE

2009
Jan

2007
Jun
Mar

2006
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Mar
Feb

2005
May

2001
Nov
Oct
Aug
May
Mar

2000
Sep
Jul
Jun
May
Jan

1999
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan