Thank you for inviting me to this great occasion. I am becoming quite a connoisseur of EXPOs, but I have to say that this EXPO 88 in Brisbane is outstanding—and other cities in future will be very hard pressed to match it, let alone surpass it.
I congratulate everyone involved, but particularly Sir Ned Williams who has so [end p1] deftly managed EXPO's relations with the world beyond Queensland; and Sir Llew Edwards, without whose tireless efforts this outstanding display at EXPO could not have been such a triumph.
Being named “Queenslander of the Year” is very well deserved recognition of all that he has done. [end p2]
I am looking forward to visiting the Australia and Queensland pavilions this afternoon. Like the rest of this great EXPO, I am sure they will reflect the great success of modern Australia. I am particularly proud that Britain was the first overseas country to decide to have a national pavilion at EXPO. That was a tremendous expression of our [end p3] faith and confidence in Queensland and in Australia—and of course a tribute to the persuasive powers of your former Premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson.
I hope that this British commitment to EXPO will become an example and an encouragement to others for a resurgence of British enterprise and interest in Australia. [end p4] With the tremendous revival which has taken place in our fortunes, we are well placed for that. I want Britain to be number one in Brisbane, number one in Queensland, and number one in Australia—and this EXPO is a very good start.