PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you very much and welcome everybody to The Lodge. Lucy and I are honoured to be in the company of so many remarkable Australians.
We are here, as Gerard just said, we are here gathered together on land that has been cared for by the Ngunawal people, this region for over 40,000 years.
Our country, our nation, is made up of many cultures, and so many of you have done so much to build and maintain this, the most successful multicultural society in the world.
But the culture of our First Australians - so ancient, from time out of mind, ages, unimaginably long in their reach - that culture is the oldest continuous human culture on earth. It enriches all of us, we're honoured to be here on Ngunawal land, on Aboriginal land.
You have all been selected for your honours because you represent the things that make us so proud to be Australian. You are driven, you are creative, you are innovative, you are compassionate, you are makers of change. Often that has come at great expense and personal sacrifice, which makes your commitment even more significant.
You would be hard pressed to find a more diverse collection of Australian stories than those we have here today. Your stories have been written on the land, on the sporting field, in our cities, in our towns, in our most remote communities.
They have played out in our schools, in our hospitals, on our streets, in our justice system and in the hearts and minds of those whose lives you have touched.
Australia is a place where your potential to contribute is determined by your energy and your optimism, and the strength of your will to make a difference. The opportunities we have, the freedoms we enjoy, the culture we cherish - all of which makes us so proud to be Australian - are the legacy of thousands, millions of remarkable people who like us, call Australia home.
Today you join the list of the most remarkable, the most remarkable, those that your fellow Australians have singled out for this special recognition.
I want to thank the 2016 Australian of the Year, retired General David Morrison - though he said I should drop the General, so just David Morrison - for his long standing and tireless service to our nation.
As the New Year opens, it's more important than ever to remind ourselves what it is that sets us apart as Australians. We are inclusive, we are compassionate, we are resilient, we are genuine. We have a deep commitment to our uniquely Australian egalitarian democracy. We respond to uncertainty and challenge, not with trepidation or anxiety, but with trust and with overwhelming optimism.
Australians are glass half full people. We are positive, always, about our future. And embodying those qualities, you give us a fresh insight into what it means to be Australian and help us imagine and build an even better future for our children and grandchildren.
So I want to thank you personally, and on behalf of Lucy, for your contributions to making our nation the extraordinary place that it is.
It's a privilege for us to host you here this morning, and it will be a privilege to stand alongside you tonight.
I want to congratulate you, every one of you. Your achievement so far is a remarkable one, but of course the day is yet to play out. So I wish each and every one of the very best of luck.
Welcome to the Lodge and we look forward to a wonderful evening and a wonderful Australia Day.
Thank you very much.
[ENDS]