This is an occasion to reflect on what we've achieved together.
We've got more to do but we achieved something huge together and that is getting equal pay for the 150,000 people who work in the social and community services sector, 120,000 of them women.
The work you do, I think every Australian is proud of and admiring of you - it is remarkable work in some of the toughest circumstances.
You see those things that many other Australians want to avert their eyes from; families in crisis, children who have been neglected, people with drug and alcohol problems, people with mental health issues, domestic violence.
There you are, providing all of your care and support, and as Prime Minister I wanted to see that properly paid and properly recognised, and I'm proud that we've achieved that together.
We have the opportunity today to tell the reform story - I know it's so known to you, but we do need to reflect on how we achieved this and the steps that made it possible.
Because this was no overnight sensation, this wasn't getting up in the morning and deciding that you wanted something done by the 6 o'clock news, this was years and years of patient work which we did together.
First we had to get rid of WorkChoices, because we knew that was destroying (inaudible).
So, we fought the 2007 election campaign and then we were in a position to get rid of WorkChoices.
And throughout 2008, as the Minister I worked with you, worked with people around the country to try and make sure that every part of the Fair Work Act was right.
And one big decision we had to make was what was going to be the equal pay principle in that Fair Work Act.
We knew all of the principles in the past had let women workers down, so we made a deliberate decision when we wrote the Fair Work Act to go to the best equal pay principle that there was in the country at that time, and we picked up the equal pay principle from Queensland because we knew that was the best way of getting women workers equal pay.
Then we got the Fair Work Act through in 2009, and that wasn't an easy struggle.
It took a lot of work, a lot of opposition from the Liberal and National parties, we didn't have control of the Senate, I had to negotiate and make sure the Act got through and I was very proud on the day that it did.
And then you brought your case, following the Fair Work Act.
In filing your case, starting all of those arguments before the Fair Work Commission, before Fair Work Australia to explain what you did and why it was underpaid.
That was a lot of work for you too.
Then, in March 2011 we brought together representatives - your representatives - representatives of employers and representatives of government to work as a reference group to see what else we needed to do to support the equal pay case.
Of course as Minister I'd already struck an agreement with you and we were going to work together but we needed to keep driving that work forward.
And then in May last year Fair Work Australia said yes there was a pay issue here, that it needed to be resolved in the interest of justice.
At the end of all of the work that we needed to do together, then we needed to come together and work out how we're going to bring this to finality.
What are the pay rates going to be?
And how's government going to find the money it needs to give you the wage justice you deserve?
And so late last year we entered into that agreement, where we said we'd support you, many employers said they'd support you, we'd get the final decision in the case and we would make $2 billion available to top up wages so you could have equal pay.
And wasn't it a fantastic day in February this year, when Fair Work Australia (inaudible).
This is a proud story of people working at their best.
Government doing what it needs to do.
You representing members right around the country, this great union.
Never giving up, never giving up on equal pay.
Fighting the struggle year after year.
And then of course it's also a story about employers who wanted to see their workers properly paid.
It's been a lot of work, it's taken a lot of time. We've made a lot of decisions, you know, there's been papers, submissions, court cases before Fair Work Australia, Cabinet decisions; a lot to do but we got there in the end.
And that is because we worked together in a patient and methodical way.
I want to thank you for that.
It's my vision of Australia's future that we no longer see unnecessary pay gaps, unfair pay gaps between men and women.
It's not good enough to say that something is women's work and therefore to be valued less. We've started on a very big journey of change; we've started with you, thank you for walking that journey in the determined way you did.
I'm very proud to be with you today and I'm looking forward to saying a big hello to everybody over morning tea.