ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much. I'll begin by thanking you very much for the Acknowledgement of Country. And I also acknowledge something that I didn't have to do way back in 1996, which is acknowledge the First Nations people who now are not unusual [INDISTINCT] in our House of Representatives and the Senate and their families as well. A sign of the progress. I was elected in 1996. In 1996, there were – basically, a lot of blokes from similar backgrounds made up most of the House of Representatives and the Senate. As I look out here today, we are far more representative of the people that we represent and that is a very good thing. I do want to acknowledge Her Excellency, the Governor-General, not just for having us here today but for the extraordinary work that she's doing around the country, promoting inclusion, [INDISTINCT], explaining in detail what is behind the important institutions and protocols that a foundation of democratic traditions. It is important. It matters, these things. And it matters that people understand what the processes are. And Her Excellency is I think far beyond – with due respect to all of her predecessors, I haven't seen that before, someone going out of their way to explain exactly what these institutions are and why they're important.
To all the MPs and Senators elected to the 48th Parliament, firstly, congratulations across the board. It is such a privilege to sit either in the House of Representatives or the Senate. And something that none of us should ever take for granted. There are always far more people wanting to be in this position than can fulfil it, and it is an honour each and every day and we must always understand that whether it's 140,000 people in our electorate, voters, or whether it be in our respective State or Territory Senate ballots, we are really privileged and honoured. And we need to take that responsibility seriously as well, as I know all of you will. And overwhelmingly, regardless of who you represent, people put themselves forward for public office overwhelmingly for all of the right reasons, because they want to make a difference to this country.
Lastly, but certainly not least, most importantly, the families of those people who are here. Indeed, I acknowledge Jodie and Nathan for the sacrifices that they have made for me during what seemed like a lot longer than 37 days, the campaign. I've been going since 5 January. I will have a day off at some stage, not withstanding some of the commentary made from time to time. But at some stage, maybe before the end of the year, I will have some time off. But they give up a lot. As do all of the families of your representatives. Whether you're elected for the first time or on multiple occasions, your families won't see as much of you as they would like and you won't see as much of them as you would like. You come back – for the little ones, you come back home after a week sitting and there will be changes in your sons or daughters or the children that you care for and missing out on those moments is a big deal. It's a big sacrifice for them as well as for you, and today is about acknowledging the families and saying thank you to them as we go forward.
We have, I think, the privilege of loving and serving the best country on earth. Politicians are supposed to say that, I think, but I truly believe it. If you look right around the world, there's nowhere you'd rather be than right here in Australia and there's no democracy that is stronger than the democracy that we have here in Australia as well. And yet we are a nation of contradictions. We're a young nation, celebrating Federation in 1901, but we're an ancient continent. We have new communities who've come to Australia to make a better life for themselves and their families, and yet we're also privileged to live with the oldest continuous culture on earth, something that we celebrate and cherish. We are a country with youthful energy, but we actually are one of the oldest democracies on earth. Our institutions have served us well since the colonies came together in 1901 to serve the first Parliament, 48 parliaments ago now. And our democracy is incredibly strong. When I look at the various systems around the world, one of the things about compulsory voting, about the universal franchise, about the way that our electoral system functions, there is no controversy about any of the outcomes of our elections. We have - whether it's a resumption, a transfer from the 47th to the 48th Parliament, or whether government changes such as it did between the 46th and 47th Parliament - we have peaceful and respectful recognition of outcomes of our democratic elections, and that's pretty incredible. The work that the Australian Electoral Commission do and the work that our Parliament does in putting together the way that our electoral system works is something that is the envy of the world. It means that everyone gets the same vote. One voter, even if for excellency is chosen not to exercise hers, every citizen above the age of 18 gets to do that. That doesn't happen in a whole lot of countries, if you hit 50 per cent of people participating in a democracy, that's seen as a good outcome. And we should cherish that absolutely.
Our country continues to evolve. And over this term of Parliament, because of the changes that are there in the world, the new technology, artificial intelligence – what will the impact be on the nature of work, on the way that we function as a society? The changes that have occurred since I've been elected to the national Parliament. When I was elected, there wasn't an internet. There wasn't people flicking social medias, there weren't selfies. It was a lot easier in many ways. People actually wrote you letters, used pens, believe it or not, and put stamps on envelopes. It is very different today and we'll continue to engage and evolve in new ways, but the way in which we can engage with our constituents has never been more possible than it is right today with social media, with emails, with the instant connections that we can get with 24-hour news cycles, that is possibly showing this live. That did not happen. It should not be taken for granted. I remember when Sky News opened up in Parliament House. That was seen to be this absolute revolution, and it was. We shouldn't take it for granted, but we should make sure – just as our Parliament across the board took a decision at the end of last year to engage in a way that wouldn't have been envisaged before, of placing restrictions on social media access in order to keep people safe. That is an example of us responding to changes in society in order to reflect what are social needs.
I conclude with this point, and not just because my friend Katy Gallagher is sitting front and centre here. Canberra is a great city. It is not just our national capital. Enjoy it, enjoy it. Don't look down on it. It's the home to many public servants, but it's also the home to a thriving private sector. There is much to do here on a weekend. There are fantastic walks and fantastic institutions including the National Gallery, the National Museum, the National Arboretum. You can sleep at the zoo, all sorts of critters waking you up at night. There's fantastic restaurants and engagement here. Yes, music does come to Canberra. That didn't happen as much 30 years ago. It's a good thing. I encourage you to – if I can give a bit of advice – having the family here for two weeks over a sitting and enjoying the weekend here is something that will make things more explainable for your youngsters as well of what it is that you are doing. Don't hide from that. Let them experience it, let them serve. It's really important. And finally, to balance up that Canberra spiel, I can promise you it will get warmer. It'll get warmer, and they have real seasons here in Canberra and I wish you all the very best.
I look forward to seeing – I’m quite excited about Parliament resuming. I am a nerd when it comes to Parliament. I actually enjoy the institution of Parliament. It's important we all respect it, and it's important that we make the most of it on behalf of the people that we've been sent here to represent, and on behalf of the nation that we all want to cherish and serve. Thank you.