Transcript: ABC Sydney Radio, Mornings with Hamish MacDonald, broadcast 24 July 2026 from 8:36am - 8:55am.

Hamish MacDonald, Host: Well, Her Excellency, the Honourable Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn, is here live from Glasgow.

Host: Very good morning to you.

Governor-General: Good morning. How are you, Hamish?

Host: Very well, thank you. I mean, an unusual turn in regal travel. I presume this doesn't extend to the vice regal positions? No. TARDIS for you, it was ordinary flight?

GG: No, of course, we don't get the TARDIS from Australia, so it was the big, long flight here. But I'm very glad to be here.

Host: How was the opening ceremony? Obviously, you're there to represent Australia, but so many young people there for the first time at the Commonwealth Games. Must have been a pretty big moment for them?

GG: Look, it was. It was very special to be there alongside our team. We had an event last night, Glasgow, time to announce the flag bearer and the baton bearer, which was very, very exciting and very special for the whole team. And then tonight was really the beginning of the 11 days of competition. I'm the patron in chief of Commonwealth Games Australia, so I feel like I'm the number one cheerleader on the sidelines here, representing Australians. Plenty of Aussies here alongside our team and lots of the locals who just love the fact that the Commonwealth Games are here and getting ready for support, a bit like we always have in Australia. All those great volunteers were around being very helpful. It had a really lovely feel tonight, for the opening.

Host: I suspect a lot of people waking up and seeing that these batons being displayed. This is a new, or it's an adaptation of the concept of The King's Baton? Can you tell us a little bit about that?

GG: Yes. Well, each of the 74 nations received a baton that was made in Glasgow a wooden baton, and each country chose a designer to paint a message on the baton. And they were all returned tonight and they worked together to form a message. And the word that was on our baton was welcome. And there's a Commonwealth message that's in each of the batons. And each of the baton carriers, along with the flag bearers tonight handed over the baton to the organisers. They were all on display in the middle of the arena. And then I think one of them presented back to The King to complete that journey around the world. And the Australian baton travelled all around Australia. And, in fact, I had a great pleasure with Matt Shirvington of having a look at the baton when it came through Sydney a couple of months ago on its way back to Glasgow. So, it was a lovely touch. And all the nations played, played a big part.

Host: I'm curious given that you, you mentioned you were able to, to see and meet with the team. What is the mood like? It's, it's such an amazing collection of different sports and age groups. I think, I think there's a 74-year-old making their debut at these comm Games. What was the vibe?

GG: The vibe is one of pride. These are athletes who are so proud to be here representing Australia. They're excited as you say. It's a really interesting team and because it's fully inclusive in the Commonwealth Games we have para athletes as well as able bodied. The youngest athlete is 14 year old Mia Hogan. She'll be in the S 1300 metres para freestyle and we'll compete well in the bowls, the 3x3 basketball which is a new sport for the games. Para basketball, para powerlifting, gymnastics and of course the swimming. And in a couple of days time I'll toss the coin for the netball game of Australia and Tonga. So, the feeling that our team is just so excited, delighted that they're here, ready to get into the competition and I mean they're just a great bunch and so proud to be representing Australia. And this morning, together with our High Commissioner to Australia, Jay Wetherill, I hosted a special starting the event for the Oceania collection of nations and which is a lovely thing to do for our Pacific neighbours. Lots of sharing of culture, including Australian First Nations culture. So, it was all. There is a lovely feeling. It does feel like friendly games. We know we do well in the Commonwealth Games but our athletes really excited and they all want to do really well for us.

Host: It's interesting, Governor-General, that you mention Oceania because when we were talking to Sam Wykes from ABC Pacific Sport earlier in the week about whether the Comm Games still have records relevance. Obviously there have been some questions about the future of the Commonwealth Games. He made the point that in the Pacific actually this is still an incredibly important thing that particularly for people coming from remote islands and villages, this is a very big deal. And it does, it is an important sort of binding agent, if you like.

GG: Absolutely. I mean this, the Pacific and Oceania has always mattered to Australia, but increasingly so. And I think that we've seen that in both defence ties and security, our sports diplomacy, the great relationships we have with the Pacific and the broader Oceania. I think it's true to say that for a lot of the small countries around the world who are Commonwealth nations, we see them in the Pacific where they are all over the world. And tonight to see small nations coming out proud of their role in the Commonwealth Feeling united with the world through the Commonwealth of Nations. The King, of course, being there as the head of the Commonwealth, lots of waving and smiling at him as the athletes paraded around. It is a really special moment, I think for so many countries that might often get a bit lost in the big Olympic movement. The Commonwealth is very special. In my role, I find myself thinking more and more about the role of the Commonwealth. Many democracies bound by very similar values, caring about each other, increasingly important as we celebrate and remind ourselves why strong democracies that have deep values really matter. So, yeah, there is a different spirit with this one. I think the Games will continue and Glasgow has shown in a slightly smaller format and using existing infrastructure that you can do a refreshed Games and maintain the Commonwealth values. And of course, the centenary of Commonwealth Games will be held in India in the next Games and I'm sure India will put a lot of focus on that. There was a huge team that was welcomed into the stadium tonight, so I do think it matters. I think the Comm Games will continue and certainly the Commonwealth Games organisers who are here are very positive about the future and delighted that these Games are taking place.

Host: I wonder if you could offer an observation for listeners this morning. Part of your role is to represent Australia on the world stage, like you're doing at the moment. These are complicated times. The politics is complex, it's heavy. How does that change the way you reflect Australia? Or do you have to interpret it differently in some way?

GG: Well, I think you and I have spoken about this before with your audience, Hamish. That former Governor-General Sir Zelman Cowan really set the what I like to think about as one of the big roles of the Governor-General, which is to reflect the light and shade of the country back to itself and to be honest about that and help interpret where we are. When you travel internationally representing our great country, the thing that is most obvious is the admiration for who we are, the strength of our democracy, what we stand for and how we are deeply admired. Our system of parliamentary democracy, represented democracy, compulsory voting, all the things that we may take for granted are seen as some of the great strengths around the world. I'm always complimented enough to take back compliments to Australia for our system. But Australians around the world? The High Commissioner hosted an event for creatives in London earlier this week to say the strength of Australians who turn up everywhere in the world, far flung from home, doing extraordinary things, whether it's sport or culture or business or diplomacy, we receive huge compliments for who we are around the world. And so I think about that a lot. I think in a world that is troubled and where people are feeling that there are greater stresses and where there are greater security issues, that Australia is seen as a place that is doing well, reaching out to partners that matter to us and showing that we do matter. The Commonwealth matters in that respect. The Pacific matters a great deal. But I think it's important that we remind ourselves that we are seen as very strong and our optimism and our capacity to adapt and really compete well above what's expected of us always is one of our great enduring features. So, I like to reflect that back to Australia to remind people that we are truly great. And I know we've got lots of issues and challenges, but it's nice to remind ourselves of that light sometimes.

Host: You can often read a lot from people's questions. What do people ask you about Australia? What do they want to know? What are they curious about?

GG: They always ask about the weather and why is it that we have such extraordinary weather? And because, of course, here in Glasgow it is summer, but it was very chilly tonight and it'll be a bit misty tomorrow. So, there's always a question about how we enjoy such great light and the beaches and the culture. Look, many just ask, how soon can I get to us and could there be a flight that's half the time. Because they don't want to travel as long, often ask how hardy we are. Why is it that we do make our way around the world, given that we are a long way from this part of the world and generally they're just interested in who we are, what we care about, and there's always a great conversation to have. I met the new Prime Minister, UK Prime Minister tonight, Prime Minister Burnham, who was at the games, and you know, he had already spoken today with our Prime Minister, as is the normal course in the early days of new Prime Ministers. And he complimented me on Australia on the world stage and everything he admires about our nation and our democracy. So, those compliments come from many different angles. Many Glaswegians today, though, are just coming up to us and wanting to say how much they admired Aussies and Aussies that had moved to Scotland and the Scottish that had moved to, to Australia. There's a real sense of friendship for us in this part of the world.

Host: Well, enjoy the Scottish summer. I won't make you envious by describing the glorious winter's morning here in Sydney this morning. Your Excellency, the Honourable Sam Mostyn, Thank you very much.

GG: Thanks so much, Hamish.

Host: Her Excellency, the Honourable Sam Mostyn, the Governor-General of Australia.