Australians enjoy ringing in the New Year. It's a time of fun and celebration, of optimism and of making New Year's resolutions.
As we mark the start of 2013 we have so much to be thankful for.
We live in the best country in the world.
We enjoy the benefits of peace and security.
Unlike the rest of the world, our economy has proved itself to be resilient.
We are improving health care and aged care.
We are tackling climate change and protecting our environment.
We have a clear plan for our nation's future in this century of growth and change in the region in which we live.
Australia is a wonderful country. But even for our great nation, every year brings its challenges.
Let me be clear about the ones that confront our nation in 2013.
Our world faces ongoing security challenges.
In this year, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, we will be involved in addressing pressing problems like Iran's nuclear program and the missile tests of North Korea.
We will also continue our difficult and dangerous mission against global terrorism in Afghanistan.
Five years on from the global financial crisis and despite some progress in the US in recent weeks, problems there and in Europe still threaten global growth.
Once again we will need to manage our economy carefully to keep creating jobs and economic growth.
And, as always, our future is not assured. We have work to do to ensure that today's children enjoy lives of better opportunity, better health and higher living standards than we do today.
But as we face these challenges we can enter this year with the confidence that comes from having the right policies and capabilities to ensure we succeed in a changing and sometimes worrying world.
Friends, amongst the many New Year's resolutions made, we should make one for our nation.
Let's start 2013 with a resolution to embrace a renewed national spirit of unity and confidence.
We have much to do and we will do it best by working together.
I am determined that 2013 will be the year when we together write the next great chapter in our nation's history. A chapter about jobs, opportunity, a better education for our children, a better deal for Australians with disability, and that we do so with a renewed Australian spirit.
Happy New Year.