Oprah Winfrey Visit to Cost Australian Taxpayers $3M

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 14th 2010 07:50AM

Oprah Winfrey announced this week that she's taking a plane full of fans on a trip to Australia, where she'll be taping several episodes of her talk show and shuttling her guests to various sights. The total cost of the trip is unknown, but Australian taxpayers will help foot the bill -- to the tune of $3 million ($2.7M USD), the nation's tourism minister said Tuesday.

The trip is being carried out in conjunction with airline Qantas and will be partly financed with funds in the annual tourism budget.

"I think it's money well spent," Martin Ferguson told reporters after making the announcement in Sydney. "This truly represents an amazing opportunity to showcase Australia, the warmth and hospitality of our people and the depth and breadth of everything our country has to offer visitors from around the world."

The government of New South Wales, the state where Sydney is located, will fork over between $1 million and $2 million of the country's investment in the trip.

Sensing there may be some backlash from taxpayers, former tourism minister John Brown has implored the media not to be "cynical about the cost."

"We spent hundreds of millions of dollars over 30 years without much effect, I must say that honestly," he said. "The publicity that Oprah will bring to Australia around the world is something you couldn't buy."

Winfrey announced the grand gesture on the debut of the final season of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.'

"Because, after all, this really is my 25th season and this is really my last chance to do something really big," she explained.

There will be two episodes of 'Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure,' which will feature O's biggest fans down under, in places like the Sydney Opera House. The trip will happen this coming December.

"It's one of the places I've always wanted to visit, and who better to take with me on this trip of a lifetime than some of my most loyal viewers. My team has been planning this trip for almost a year and we are so excited," Oprah said in a statement.

After airing, Oprah tweeted that she was pleased no one let the news leak. "Audience -- it's unbelievable that you kept that secret all weekend!! Way to go mates," she wrote.

Tags: australia, oprah winfrey

Comments

(37)

Tuesday 14 September

By blanche

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To siastaEg--you are nothing but an ignorant, uneducated, jealous loser--a big coward--What contribution have you made to socety? At least Oprah has done a lot to help others--can tell you have absolutely NOTHING going for you in your pitiful life except your hate! And for your information, Africa never had Aids until it was "invaded" --You are a major idiot--go pick up a book and learn to read and spell--you are a brain-drain!!!LOSER!

By Barb

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Speaking of spelling...."society"....never accuse someone else of bad spelling until you have spell-checked yourself.

By Fran

Are you kidding me. You have serious hate issues. Please Please for your sake and your families see a doctor. You have too much bottled up hate in you.

Oprah has done so much good in this world, earned her own money and it is absolutely no one business what she does with it.

Have you helped other people in need? Please investigate before you make hateful racist remarks like that.

The world is the state it is in because of hateful people like you.

Please get help and open your eyes. I will pray for you.

By gramps

nothing like helping the economy of another country. this couldn't have been in the U S to help put some people to work. does country first mean anything

By mbrul

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ask the aussies how they feel about having to fork over millions because orca landed. why can't she pay for it, or doesn't that get her enough publicity?

just hope she moves there and takes all her lemmings with her.

By artiedoowop

Seems to me that the American taxpayers aren't the only one's being abused. and ripped off.No respect at all.a disgrace. They abuse our money then they want to cut our programs and services that WE pay for . How do these crooks get in office and in charge of our money in the first place?

By amazon1967

Umm we vote them in? lol

By george clooney

and to think SHE brought us OBAMA! This woman is part of the anti-christ movement and you would be better off staying away from her!

By cb

STOP HATING BEEYATCH!!!!

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I suppose you belong to her church? When you say you will pray for that person, who are you praying to? Are you praying to OPRAH?

By flamalfa

Mr. Clooney:

My saying that I will pray reflects my beliefs. I meant that I will pray for that person to lose his/her hatred. I was raised to judge people from their heart and mind and not the color of their skin or their political or religious beliefs. I was not raised on hatred and I did not raise my two daughters that way.

His/her remarks show total hatred.

By Mark

Just like she did when she "gave away cars," she is using someone else's money. Most likely the fans will have to pay US taxes on the value of this trip and I bet she will not even cover that cost. For someone that is a billionare, she loves spending other people's money.

By Puffy

Mark, you are so right. I mean I think Oprah has done so many amazing things to help people, BUT, much like Angelina Jolie, she keeps a very tight control on what the general public knows about her. Her employees have to sign confidentiality agreements that are about as tight as working for the Royal Family. It irritates the bejeezus out of me when she says she's giving the audience a car, a trip, whatever when the reality of the situation is that she is merely the platform where the gift is being given. GM donated those cars - granted, she asked for them and GM gained lots of good pr from it, but the fact is GM gave the cars, not Oprah. I am genuinely puzzled why a woman like Oprah, with all that money, and what looks like so much philanthropy isn't paying the whole cost of this "gift". Why would the Australian public have to pay anything at all? Isn't it Oprah in the end who benefits from all this already??? I really don't begrudge Oprah the money, the celebrity, etc. I just don't understand why a billionaire can't pay for 300 people to go to Australia.

Please continue about Africa being INVADED. Is this what are children are being taught in school?

By Peaches

Remember when she gave away all the cars. They had to pay the sales taxes on the car. Not everyone could do so. Will they have to pay the taxes on this trip to? I haven't watched her show in years. And never will.

By cathy

wow.. it's great to know that Australia isn't in a recession like the rest of us. As for all of the things Oprah has done for people.. none of it came out of her own pocket.. everything was donated by the manufacturer.. even the cars..

By Holly Marcyoniak

I SURELY WISH I COULD GO TO AUSTRALIA TOO !! PERHAPS AUSTRALIA IS DOING SO WELL BECAUSE OF THE PRIME MINISTER-- HE KNOWS HOW TO PROTECT & LEAD HIS COUNTRY. AND HE DOESN;T COWER BEFORE MUSLIMS ONE BIT !!! I WOULD LOVE TO MEET THIS LEADER !!!

By donna

I agree with Gramps.....why not take a trip right here in the USA....Oprah acts so high and mighty...she doesn't give anything away...unless it is someone else's...can't wait till her show is over....tired of watching her pat herself on the back....

By dscat1029

Oprah is a multi BILLIONAIRE. I find it insulting that she has to use my tax dollars to go on vacation. I can barely pay my own bills and this thug has the balls to mug me.

By Pam

The Australian government is paying, not the United States.

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