ANDREW LIVERIS, PRESIDENT, BRISBANE 2032 ORGANISING COMMITTEE: So, who's got the first question? And I've got very capable people behind me.

JOURNALIST: Can you talk a bit, Andrew, about that number? How well it’s been received or otherwise?

LIVERIS: How well it's been received?

JOURNALIST: Yeah.

LIVERIS: As I've said now a couple times today, 38 million, 39 million views on social media. You can't make that up. I mean, 5,000 direct mentions. Overwhelmingly positive. I think the Courier Mail poll by someone from the Courier Mail here, is running higher than 80 per cent, and so social media has been phenomenal. And of course, all the commentary I'm getting from a range of different contacts, my colleagues, people from overseas have noticed it. We've definitely made a splash.

JOURNALIST: I guess the one that matters is the IOC (International Olympic Committee). What directly did they say about this, Andrew?

LIVERIS: Loved it. Loved it. We had to go through the IOC and IPC (International Paralympic Committee) for approval, so whenever that happened, a month or two back. And I can't forget what Kirsty Coventry had to say - she was just, wow, wow. I can't wait until you bring this to the executive board. So she was very impressed, as was Andrew Parsons at the IPC.

JOURNALIST: The emblem has [indistinct]… I believe one of our athletes alluded that this could also be a mascot reveal possibly too. Is that the case?

LIVERIS: [Laughs] Who said that, actually?

JOURNALIST: Korey (Boddington).

LIVERIS: Was it Korey? Yeah. I thought we heard some innovative ideas on that platform. I'm not ruling out anything, except Minister Mander did rule out the bin chicken.

JOURNALIST: How long do you imagine until we have a mascot?

LIVERIS: Look, we have a whole protocol and process that the IOC has to bless [indistinct], as already indicated by one of the questions. And typically, what you do with branding events and marketing events and sponsorships is you have to stage these to keep interest, and to actually give activations available to our sponsors. The emblem is a massive activation, and our sponsors will then start using it. We're in market in January ’27, okay, officially. So that means we can now market who we are - we'll have the sports program. So the mascot, really, in that sense is not needed as an activation for post-LA, and so somewhere post-LA.

JOURNALIST: We talked about the passing of the torch with LA as well. Is there any ideas that you can share with us so far? It's coming up pretty quickly.

LIVERIS: So we, as an OCOG (Organising Committees for the Olympic Games) now and the Board, can start to hear what we're doing to put resources against that. As you might gather, we're privately funded, so we have to watch our cost trajectory of spending when we need to spend. And cultural creative is coming because of LA. So that's the first creative event, there's obviously more afterwards. But certainly LA, we're bringing on people soon to actually start helping us do that. So, no foreshadowment of what that could be, but the emblem, it has to be very iconic.

JOURNALIST: How many emblems have you shortlisted?

LIVERIS: Okay. How many emblems are shortlisted? Minister Mander, do you want to take this question?

Many, many. We got to I'd say two to three that were very relevant. And I, like my colleagues - and I think Minister Mander has said this - there was really space between this one and the second. But the second, I think you said, okay. I think it could have done it but this one was by far resonated because it tells a story and it speaks to us.

JOURNALIST: Mr Liveris, you spoke about the sport program a little bit earlier today. When are you anticipating we will have that? I understand you must be getting anxious to have that, it will really put the wheels in motion in terms of preparing for the Games. When would you want to see that to be able to?

LIVERIS: Yeah. Well, decades of training has told me never to get anxious, just start working on the solutions. We are respectful of the IOC, as we have to be, for their process, their Fit for the Future. They are going back and forth, back and forth, with their federations. We're staying very close to it. We're briefing our board later this week about exactly what our timeline will be, given their timeline. Look, we're still very hopeful that year-end could be real. I'm not banking on it for sure, maybe first quarter. But trust me, this is the next big reveal for us and we have to get it right. And of course, we have venues that have to be matched against the sports. So you realise that tight trades, right? Sports, venues, budget, they’re all tight trades so we need to get there.

JOURNALIST: You spoke a lot about Brisbane's identity up on the panel. But could you just tell us again, in your view, what is Brisbane's identity?

ADRIAN SCHRINNER, BRISBANE LORD MAYOR: I think this emblem has a lot of features that people would recognise. You can see the shape of Queensland. You can see the Olympic torch or the flame. You can see Southeast Queensland and Brisbane right at the heart with the eye, the winking eye, where the heart of all the action will happen. And so, there's a whole heap of elements here. You can see combinations of feathers. You can see three feathers and two feathers obviously in 2032.

So this is one of those emblems that says a lot of things to a lot of people, and it's something that we can all look into and see something in. And different elements will have different meanings to different people but- I mean, the cockatoo is a globally recognised Australian icon. And one of the great things about the cockatoo is that it doesn't just work for Brisbane, it works for Queensland and it works for the whole of Australia as well. And just remember, this is the Brisbane 2032 Games, but it's Queensland games and it's an Australian games as well, and I think this emblem can give everyone buy-in. They can see something in it that they like, and the feedback's been incredible.

JOURNALIST: How do you feel about the Gold Coast stealing your thunder [indistinct]?

SCHRINNER: They can have it. I was actually just relieved to see the response from the community to this emblem. It’s been really positive. We know it hasn't always been the way when Olympic emblems have been released. The London example was probably one that everyone remembers where, overwhelmingly, people were negative about that emblem. Whereas the response has been so positive. People appreciate it. As I say, you can see many things in the logo, many things in the emblem, and it says a lot to people that they can resonate with.

JOURNALIST: Apart from the emblem, how important is it for us to know what Brisbane's identity is and then to project the right one to the world?

SCHRINNER: Well, it's never just one thing. And that's the thing. This emblem has many facets to it. There's many elements to it. And I think what we trade to the world will have many elements to it. We’re a friendly place, we have this great climate and a wonderful environment. But if you look deeper you will see more, and that's exactly what we want to give to the world - look deeper, look deeper into the emblem look deeper into Brisbane, and you will see more and more that you grow to love.

JOURNALIST: Lord Mayor, you were not pulling any punches on the stage. You said the first iterations made you feel nothing, you and the Minister kiboshed it. Why did it make you feel nothing seeing the Brisbane River stylised as a potential emblem?

SCHRINNER: I think it's got to have meaning that's wider than just to Brisbane. And look, we love the Brisbane River, but this has got to be an icon that has global reach. And what we've got will have global reach. And I mean, cockatoos are loved around the world. People keep cockatoos as pets in many different countries around the world. They know the character of a cockatoo. They know how clever they are. They are famous around the world. And so, this is something that really speaks to a global audience. And so, we wanted to make sure that it was something that everyone could have buy-in to and have meanings with, right. And so it's about broadening that, and I think we've got that outcome.

JOURNALIST: Minister Mander. First Andrew behind you said that he doesn't get anxious about a deadline when it comes to preparing for the games. How anxious are you to get the final sporting list then we can start putting shovels in the ground on our venues - on the broader venues?

TIM MANDER, MINISTER FOR OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES: Well obviously, we want to finalise as quickly as possible. It's not as if no work is not happening, obviously, behind the scenes as we pre-empt what will eventually be decided. But we want to just another milestone and, as Andrew said, we respect IOC processes. They're a big body, they don't just come together easily so- but they've been respectful of us as well. They know what we have been planning and I expect that we'll come to a resolution of those quickly.

JOURNALIST: Do you have the power to veto the mascot as the bin chicken?

MANDER: I have the power to have an opinion and I gave my opinion.

JOURNALIST: Minister, just on the promotion of this across the state [indistinct]... it obviously now looks forward to also promoting it across the world as well. How much does the promotion of this week cost in terms of public funds? And also, what is the cost ongoing in terms of promoting this as a campaign?

MANDER: Well the promotional aspect this week is all within 2032's budget. And of course, to promote the emblem or to promote the Games generally, of course you've got to invest- make an investment in it. But what we will receive in return because of this emblem, is going to be incredible.

I was talking to Andrew earlier and he mentioned, rightly, the NFL and what happened in Melbourne. Now, from that $350 million stimulus for the city of Melbourne because of the NFL there, of course there's money involved with that in promoting that game and everything associated with it.

So we're comfortable it's nothing extravagant. Going to our natural landmarks right down the coast is very well received. And it’s important as well that all of Queensland gets behind it, and that's why it was important to be out in the regions. And it is happening and now I think they'll even get behind it more as people [indistinct]...

JOURNALIST: [Indistinct] funding come from out of?

MANDER: It comes out of this in 2032.

JOURNALIST: Part of this committee? All part of this committee?

MANDER: That’s correct.

JOURNALIST: With the sporting program, how do you confidently keep awarding venue contracts? You're being very tight-lipped on the budget. How do you manage that budget when you don't know what sports are coming potentially until next year now?

MANDER: Well, let’s look at the reality of this. Well, I don’t know what the percentage is but look, 80 per cent of the sports, it’s pretty obvious, right. The athletics is going to be at the stadium, the swimming’s going to be at the National Aquatic Centre, any beach type of sports will be on the coast. So it's more the indoor sports that we have to finalise, where they're going to go. We still have Logan being built, we’ll have Morton Bay being built as well. So, it’s not- we've got time. It's not critical at the moment, but we want to get to sort it out as quickly as possible.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible question]…

MANDER: Well, it’s pretty straight forward. There's a big Brisbane word underneath the logo and the emblem. I mean, Brisbane is the capital of our state. It plays a crucial role with regards to what happens in our state and will play a crucial role with regards to the games. Despite the fact that we are regionalising the venues, still the majority of sports will be in the southeast corner, and Brisbane will get more than their fair share of Olympic experiences and Paralympic experiences.

JOURNALIST: Would you like to see public reporting of how the venue budget is being spent in the lead-up to the Games?

MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS ANIKA WELLS: Well obviously, we have an IGA (Intergovernmental Agreement) that was signed with the previous state government that we are all sticking to and working really well together on the Games Leadership Group where we meet regularly about how all of that is unfolding. [Indistinct] from the Federal Government's perspective we're putting billions in funding into transport infrastructure for the Brisbane 2032 Games - from upgrades to the Bruce up in Cairns, right down the coast. Obviously the $3.43 billion into venues, which has been well litigated through the media; and $513 million into high performance sports.

[Indistinct] This is our north star that encourages us all to think, rather than day to day or week to week, about the political problems before us, how do we want to be seen in the eyes of the world on 31 July 2032? Are we having everything ready and sequenced for that moment, for Brisbane to meet it?

It's the biggest media event in the world and, as the Communications Minister, do we have enough cadet journalists in the field that will be able to cover all of those regional events in our decentralised games? Do we have the cables ready that we can have our international broadcasters come and carry that footage of our beautiful beaches, our sporting events on the coast back to their countries. Brisbane 2032 really gives us the opportunity to think properly and long-term about those answers to the questions that Brisbane wants us to think about as politicians, and that’s why we’re really grateful to be doing it.

JOURNALIST: As the Communications Minister, [indistinct], to ask you about the AI Parliamentary Inquiry tomorrow. But should Digital Duty of Care extend to Anthropic and Open AI as well as social media? Have you had any discussions with those organisations? And two, the eSafety Commissioner has been open about how difficult her job has been [indistinct] attacked and threatened. Was she given enough resources to protect her, and what would you do differently for the next eSafety Commissioner?

WELLS: We have more than quadrupled the resourcing for the eSafety Commissioner in government, whilst we have also expanded that role. I work very closely with the eSafety Commissioner, we talk to each other about the online environment that we find ourselves in. I think she's been a really resilient and courageous commissioner for us, and I thank her for what will be 10 years of service by the time she gets to January.

JOURNALIST: Is there enough protection around her [indistinct]…

WELLS: We don’t talk about AFP requirements upon federal politicians and public figures.

JOURNALIST: On Victoria Park Stadium. There’s been a budget, a costing of $3.7 billion. Have you received a request from the state government, if there is not going to be all that money spent, where that money will go? Are you having oversight if there is any money left over?

WELLS: So, that sits with the jurisdiction of the Infrastructure Minister, Catherine King. But as we made clear, the $3.43 billion venue infrastructure budget is capped from a federal perspective, but it’s part of a federal commitment to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.