Southport MP. MP for Southport, Gold Coast. Peter Lawlor: peterlawlor.com.au

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Chirn Park
Queensland 4215
Tel: 5532 5068
Fax: 5532 0394
email: southport@parliament.qld.gov.au


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Bring Ellen to the Gold Coast Campaign
Posted by editor (editor) on May 28 2010
2010 >>

Hon. PJ LAWLOR (Southport—ALP) (Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading) (10.00 am): It is no

secret that it has been a tough 18 months for tourism across the state, but tough times cannot stifle

innovation and get-up-and-go. This week I have been made aware of some enterprising locals on the

Gold Coast who will not take the global financial crisis lying down. They are calling on Ellen DeGeneres

to bring her show to the Gold Coast for filming. They have set up a Facebook page for people to express

support. They have created petitions. Tourism Queensland has lent a hand, with our US office

contacting Ellen’s producers in Los Angeles. I know the Premier strongly supports the Gold Coast push.

Gold Coast radio station Sea FM is promoting an Ellen dance party on Surfers Paradise beach on

Friday from 7 am to 9 am. The organisers of the dance party want everyone to wear blue, which is

Ellen’s favourite colour. They will film the locals dancing—not this local; I dance something likely Elaine

Benes from Seinfeld—and will send the film to Ellen. The other reason they do not want to film me is

that they want to encourage her to come here, not chase her away. This all makes sense if you have

seen the show. Ellen always does a little dance at the start of the show.

Mr Langbroek: Show us.

Mr LAWLOR: I hope the member will be there. It is in his electorate. Sea FM was over the moon

when it contacted Ellen’s producers this week and received a message back from Ellen herself, in which

she said that she was aware of the campaign and she loved it. She said she would try to make it to the

Gold Coast.

We cannot underestimate the value to the economy and to tourism of attracting productions such

as this to the Gold Coast. In the United States alone, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has an audience of

about five million viewers, making it one of the highest viewed daytime shows. It airs in more than 30

countries around the world, including in some of Queensland’s biggest international markets such as

New Zealand, the UK and South-East Asia, as well as emerging markets such as India and the Middle

East. If Ellen brought her show to the Gold Coast, millions of people would see all that the beautiful Gold

Coast can offer. With such a large production on the Gold Coast, money would flow into the local

economy from airline flights, accommodation bookings, hire car rentals, restaurant bookings and so on.

I wish the Gold Coast good luck in its bid to lure Ellen down here and I congratulate the organisers on

their grassroots campaign, which is good for the community and good for the economy.

Last changed: May 28 2010 at 2:41 PM

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Bring Ellen to the Gold Coast Campaign