Prime Minister
Prime Minister: Well, thank you very much, and g’day, everyone.
And welcome here to the Lodge, on behalf of Jenny and I, and Buddy - who you all met, I think, on the way in - and our girls who are here, all here with us over these next couple of days.
Can I begin, of course, by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the traditional custodians of this land on which we meet, and their elders, that are past and present and, of course, emerging. Some of them here amongst us today.
I acknowledge, as I always do, those who serve in our Defence Force and who have served in our Defence Forces, and say to them, thank you for that service, because it’s by that service that we enjoy the freedom we do here today in this amazing country.
And, of course, we are joined by the 2021 award winners:
To Grace Tame - congratulations to you Grace and your fiancé - Australian of the Year for 2021.
To Rosemary - it’s great to see your shining face, looking forward to that dance a little later - there she is.
To Isobel - great to see you again. It was good to catch up with you down in South Australia.
And it’s a shame that Dr Miriam-Rose can't be here with us today, but we want to acknowledge her also, the Senior Australian of the Year, and we wish her all the best. COVID has prevented us from being able to, Jenny and I were particularly keen to go up and take up Miriam's invitation, but unfortunately COVID prevented us from doing that. But we're on a promise, Miriam-Rose, and we look forward to seeing you.
Thank you all for joining us here today, and for everything that you’ve done over the course of this past year.
Can I acknowledge Danni, as well. This is a very informal gathering today, and all the Board members of the Australia Day Council who are with us here today.
Can I acknowledge also our sponsors as well, and thank them for their great support that makes this possible.
And I'm glad you're all able to come here together in this way today, and enjoy the Lodge grounds today without that suffocating hot marquee, Danni, which, one of the other many reforms that we've introduced to this event. So it's wonderful to have you here in this way.
To my good friend and colleague Ben Morton, who is here, and who supports all of these events, as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister. Thank you, Ben, for the great work you do here as well.
Every year, I’m incredibly amazed at the breadth of Australians who are the finalists - the stories that you’ve come together in pulling this together through the nominations through the states and territories. We sit in awe and wonder as we listen to those incredible stories.
Every one of you is incredibly different, but you all share, I think, a great civic mindedness, a desire to make a difference. A great love of our country. A kaleidoscope of Australia.
There are athletes, there are scientists, there are police officers, there are campaigners, there are helpers, there are healers, there’s singers, storytellers, there is inventors, and volunteers.
We’ve got two sporting champions in Patty and Dylan - two household names - who are at the top of their games, who are determined to help so many others succeed.
Our two Indigenous police officers, both pioneers: Colin, the first Aboriginal police officer in this country, and Leanne, the first Aboriginal policewoman in South Australia. Both work so hard for Aboriginal justice and law and order in our country [inaudible].
They are joined by two retired officers - Paul and Kim. Both of them saw a need and filled it. Paul - who is currently in Western Australia - does incredible work teaching cyber safety to children, and I thank in particular all the Western Australians who’ve been able to join us here today and the sacrifice you’ve made to be part of this. And to Kim, who has helped over 800 refugees to get their driver's licence - practical skills that help set them up for a great life in Australia.
There’s another courageous first responder - Leo. Thirty-five years in the Mallacoota SES. A volunteer who provided inspirational leadership during the devastating fires down there two years ago.
We’ve got researchers: Veena in materials and waste recycling, and Helen in vaccinology - both incredibly important, and I must say both very close to my own heart.
Craig Leeson is telling the story of our polluted oceans, enlivening our consciousness to these issues and indeed has enlivened our consciousness as a Government, particularly on those issues regarding plastics and recycling and addressing climate issues. A reminder that we are responsible for our continent, and there is many of us here today, particularly those representing the Indigenous community, who have cared for our country over millennia.
We have many people whose life experiences - it’s been the tough times that they have faced - that have inspired them to help others, a constant refrain in this country:
Is Abla, welcoming and empowering Islamic women in Western Sydney.
Is Robyne, who’s advocating for people with disabilities in the Top End.
Jan is creating support for other grandparents bringing up their grandchildren, a demand placed on so many grandchildren [sic] these days.
There’s Sean, who’s supporting kids with cancer, and their families as well.
Ahmed is helping boys and girls from multicultural backgrounds.
Craig Hollywood is giving haircuts, and importantly, care and dignity, to homeless people in Perth.
Saba is giving refugees opportunities and skills in Brisbane through a social enterprise restaurant. And playing her part in stopping COVID in multicultural communities.
Monique is a champion for those who face lymphoedema, lymphoedema. I’ll try that one more time, I need Greg Hunt to pronounce these these names - lymphoedema.
And there’s Shanna who’s bravely sharing her experience of recovering from alcoholism, and telling other folks in the bush, it’s ‘ok to say no.’ And that is so awesome and that is so courageous.
To Kendall and Tahnee, who know about the heartbreak of suicide and mental illness, and want to make it something that we talk about, and that it’s ok to talk about - ‘it’s ok not to be ok.’ It’s an important message, particularly over the course of this pandemic when so many Australians have been struggling with mental illness. And that is incredibly brave, Kendall and Tahnee. And we are so sorry for your loss, but we are so thankful for your courage.
Mark, also, is generously sharing his expertise in youth mental health.
And Kaytlyn - a university student, a singer-songwriter, who works with young women in regional areas to help them upskill, to thrive and connect.
Sue and Lloyd - two years on, we still have no words for the tragic loss of Hannah and your grandchildren. But we admire your courage and generosity, rising from that terrible sorrow to make the world safer for women and children.
And we have finalists who have profoundly serve their fellow Australians with dignity and respect:
Trudy is a dentist devoted to helping patients who face disadvantage, disability and illness.
Luke is bringing music into the lives of kids with special needs, and breaking down stigma.
Val - or Aunty Val as she’s known - has a lifetime of volunteering with St Johns Ambulance, never more needed in these last few years.
Gaye is passionate about Melbourne’s West, and those hardest hit by outbreaks and lockdowns during the pandemic.
Sizol helping, is helping the most vulnerable teenagers and young people as they come into contact with the justice system.
Daniel is providing mobile GP clinics for homeless people in Sydney - and he’s also from the Shire. That doesn't give him any favouritism, I can tell you, I don't make, get to make the decisions - and creating a network of doctors to help as well, and Jen’s been out with Daniel on occasions, and we’re thank you for involving us in that way. He called this network ‘Street Side Medics’.
Rebecca has raised over $1 million for local charities and causes over the years, and is a tireless community fundraiser who brings her community together.
And then there’s Bruce - an expert in plant knowledge - and using that knowledge helping some of the world’s poorest feed themselves. He has spent decades building a database of over 33,000 edible plants.
What an extraordinary group. I thank you for your patience as I've read through all of that, but I think it's important that we do, that you get a full picture of the tremendous company that you’re in and worthy to be sitting amongst each and every single one of you.
And to the Australia Day Council, what tremendous work you've done in collecting such an extraordinary group of Australians.
At the end of the day, I see Australia in you, Australians see Australia in you, we see our best selves in you and our best country in you. And for that, I'm deeply grateful as Prime Minister. Hard working, passionate, determined, generous, willing to go that extra mile, regardless of how tired, regardless of the stress or pressures, and there are many. But you press on. You're very different, but you're very similar, and you make this country what it is.
You really do inspire all of us. And I believe tonight, as the nation learns all of your stories, they will be similarly inspired at a time when they desperately need it, as we continue to deal with what have been, frankly, some of the toughest years this country has had to face since the times of war and the Great Depression, and here you have been throughout that time serving, at your post, with love, with compassion, and with a great spirit of patriotism.
So congratulations. You’re continuing a very worthy tradition. I have only one thing to ask of all of you. Please keep doing what you're doing. We need you. God bless. Happy Australia Day for tomorrow.