National Cabinet met virtually today to discuss issues of national importance and agree to a new National Skills Agreement.

National Skills Agreement

First Ministers endorsed the new National Skills Agreement, building on National Cabinet’s close cooperation on other priorities, such as housing and planning.

The Agreement will support a new way of working together to deliver the nation’s social and economic priorities through shared stewardship of the vocational education and training (VET) system.

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

Dr Cathy Foley says ‘science is humanity’s superpower’.

It’s my great honour to be with all of you tonight, as we celebrate the super heroes of Australian science.  

Some of our nation’s leading scientists and science teachers.

People advancing the frontiers of discovery - and inspiring a new generation to discover a love of science.

Last night's National Cabinet agreed to unlock billions of dollars to build Australian skills and prosperity.

The landmark five-year National Skills Agreement (NSA), which will take effect from January next year, was developed under principles agreed by National Cabinet and will embed national cooperation and strategic investment in our vocational education and training sector.

ALICIA PAYNE, MEMBER FOR CANBERRA: Good morning, everyone. I'm Alicia Payne, the Member for Canberra, and it's my great pleasure to be here this morning at the Fyshwick CIT campus in the Electric Vehicle Training Hub, to welcome the Prime Minister, Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O'Connor, and our Chief Minister Andrew Barr here for this very important announcement this morning. I'll hand over to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held bilateral talks on 18 October 2023 in Canberra.

PETER MALINAUSKAS, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Good morning, everybody and thanks for joining us here at the Adelaide Central Markets on a really important moment. We are on the precipice of a big decision as a country and I couldn't be prouder to be standing next to the Prime Minister of our nation, Anthony Albanese, who has had the fortitude and the courage to put this question to the Australian people just as he committed he would do. It's also great to be here with the Foreign Minister, a proud South Australian, Senator Penny Wong.

HOST: Where are you today, Albo?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Today, I've been in Adelaide, Hobart and I've just landed back in Sydney. Yesterday, I was in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

HOST: Yes.

PRIME MINISTER: And the day before I was at Uluru and Port Lincoln. So, it's been a very busy time.

HOST: I mean, Prime Minister, what do you like, are you a coffee man? What keeps you going?

DAVE MARCHESE, HOST: Anthony Albanese, welcome to the Shake Up.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: My absolute pleasure to be with you and I'm hoping it's a good weekend for everyone, but particularly a good weekend for the first Australians.

MARCHESE: Well, look, at this point in the campaign, we're a day out. All the polls appointing to No. How hopeful are you that Australia is actually going to say Yes?

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of meeting the Anangu women who painted the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Sitting with them in the red dirt in the centre of our continent, I thought about how remarkable their artwork is.

Not only does it match the power of the words it surrounds, its greatest beauty is that leaves room for all of us to do what Australians have done so many times before: seize the chance for a better future. And we can do that by voting Yes.

Yes means recognising Indigenous Australians as the original inhabitants of this continent.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, today is the day. The first referendum held this century. And an opportunity to make history. An opportunity to just do two things. Accept the gracious invitation from the First Australians to recognise them in our nation's founding document, our birth certificate. And secondly, to do it in the form in which we have been requested. A simple request by the First Australians just to be heard. To have a Voice. To be listened to about matters that affect them. A non-binding advisory committee.