I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.

I’m delighted to be here in Ballarat.

The course of our national history has been shaped and changed here.

It’s a place where leaders were born.

A place where the past is present.

And we find an important part of our past here at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, which speaks of a different chapter in our nation’s story.

OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: Joining me on the phone is the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Good afternoon.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, Ollie. Always good to talk with you.

PETERSON: You’re riding high after the first week of parliament because you got your tax cuts through, you got the IR laws in the Senate last night. Are you back?

MARK DREYFUS, MEMBER FOR ISAACS: Morning everyone. It's an absolute pleasure to be here in the great electorate of Isaacs in Dingley, for the opening of the Hawthorn Football Club’s Kennedy Centre. It's been a long time coming. I was here on the 2nd of March 2019, with the now Prime Minister in a different capacity when he was Shadow Minister for Infrastructure. We made a commitment then, back on the 2nd of March 2019, and here we are today in 2024 with the turning of the first sod.

TOM ELLIOTT, HOST: Anthony joins us. Anthony, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: G'day, Tom. How are you going?

ELLIOTT: Mr Albanese, good morning. How are you?

SARAH MACDONALD, HOST: I welcome the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, back to the show. Good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Sarah. Good to be with you.

Work is underway on the $113 million Kennedy Community Centre Stage 1 Project, which is set to elevate the Hawthorn Football Club facilities to a nationally-significant sporting venue.

Once complete, the centre will include the ‘Harris’ Elite Training and Administration Facility, which will comprise of an MCG-sized oval with lighting, an indoor training field, aquatic facilities, unisex change rooms, function centre, public amenities and a carpark area with lighting.

1. Prime Minister James Marape and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held the fifth Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Leaders’ Dialogue on 8 February 2024 in Canberra.
2. Leaders acknowledged the cultural, historical and geographical bond that continues to build the closer connection between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

My friend, Prime Minister Marape, on behalf of the Government and the people of Australia, it is a great pleasure to so warmly welcome you to the heart of our democracy.

You are the first leader of another nation to address us in this chamber since 2020.

And the first leader of a Pacific island nation to address the Australian Parliament, ever.

It is fitting that such an honour belongs to Papua New Guinea.

Australia and Papua New Guinea are close in every sense of the word.

We are the nearest of neighbours.

The most steadfast and trusted of partners.

KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Thanks everyone for joining us here today at the important event of UN Women's Breakfast. Kicks off the International Women's Day festivities, and this year it's focusing on counting women in and around economic empowerment for women and driving economic opportunity for women. And of course, one of the most important things in the parliament right now is our tax changes, which when you look at them and look at them carefully, 90 per cent of Australian taxpayers will be better off under the Labor tax plan.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

The lead-up to International Women’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to recognise the progress that women are driving across our economy and our society.

It’s a chance to re-affirm our commitment to true gender equality – in the community, the boardroom, on the sporting field, in our parliaments.

Above all, this is a time when we must face-up to where we are falling short and look for new ways to do better.