The Australian Government has welcomed Qantas and Jetstar as the first airlines to sign up to the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) to operate domestic flights.

This agreement is expected to support more than 25,000 flights, carrying more than four million passengers, through WSI each year – and will support 700 jobs.

WSI is a transformational infrastructure project that will generate economic activity, provide long-term employment opportunities in the Western Sydney region, and meet Sydney's growing aviation needs.

AUNTY GAIL SMITH: Good morning and welcome to the Western Sydney International Airport for the 50 per cent milestone of completing the airport. I would like to acknowledge the families of the Cabrogal clan as the traditional custodian of the land we are on. As we gather here for this important occasion, I pay my respect to the elders past, present, and all First People here today on our border community. We stand here this morning to acknowledge the traditional owners and to recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. My name is Aunty Gail Smith.

DAVID KOCH, HOST: The PM joins us now. Anthony Albanese, good morning to you.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: G’day Kochie, this is like a eulogy for you but you’re still here, mate. Like what’s going on?

KOCH: We’ve got to cover the news of the day.

PRIME MINISTER: Indeed.

KOCH: Did your colleague mislead Parliament?

PRIME MINISTER: No.

KOCH: From that vision it shows that she clearly did.

Rale Rasic was a football pioneer who leaves a mighty legacy.

His playing talent brought him from his homeland in then-Yugoslavia to Footscray JUST. The joy and success he found there launched his coaching career and made Australia his home.

Only eight years after his arrival in Australia and at just 34, Rale was appointed coach of the Australian national team. A courageous choice that would launch a bold new era.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Can I thank Prime Minister Chinh for the very warm welcome to Vietnam, and for the very constructive dialogue and meeting that we held today. This afternoon, of course, I have further meetings with Vietnam's leadership. But right now, we're here to meet the Young Matildas, who are doing such a great job of representing Australia, proudly here at the qualifiers for the Asia Cup here in Vietnam. They had a big win last night, 5-0 against Lebanon.

VƯƠNG ĐÌNH HUỆ, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF VIETNAM: I am confident that your visit will be a great success. And it will make meaningful contributions to further strengthening the strategic partnership between our two countries, with a view to upgrading our bilateral ties, elevating our bilateral ties to a new height - a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Australia in the time to come. I myself paid a very fruitful visit to Australia last December, as you are well informed.

I’m deeply grateful to you, Prime Minister Chinh for your hospitality this evening and for hosting me for this important visit.

It’s been an honour to travel to Vietnam in this milestone year of our relationship.

No matter where I have been on this visit – whether talking to students studying at RMIT, or meeting business representatives, or enjoying a Vietnamese beer at a bia hoi – I have felt welcome.

While I’m a long way from home, it doesn’t feel like it.

Even my Vietnamese beer yesterday was made using Australian barley. 

I’m delighted to be back in Singapore and here for my first visit as Prime Minister of Australia.

I’m grateful to Acting Prime Minister Wong for a very positive and productive Leaders’ Meeting this morning. And I wish my friend Prime Minister Lee a speedy recovery.

And I’m deeply honoured that the International Institute for Strategic Studies has invited me to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue.

For two decades, this highly-respected forum has brought together experts in both defence and diplomacy.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you referenced Singapore Prime Minister Lee's recent speech in China. Singapore's Defence Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen was in Australia recently. And there he mentioned some very positive things about Australia's potential to play a bigger role in the region and welcomed Australia's future submarines to call into Singapore's ports. But he also said something surprising, at least I found it surprising, that he said that Australia was not just an Indo-Pacific country, but an Asian country.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I’m delighted to be here with you in Hanoi to celebrate the continuing growth of RMIT Vietnam and to celebrate the education links that are such a central part of the Australia-Vietnam relationship.

I am pleased to be joined by Professor Alec Cameron, RMIT Vice-Chancellor, who has travelled from Australia to join his team on this occasion. And I’m especially pleased to be joined by Professor Claire Macken, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of RMIT Vietnam, who is the face of RMIT in this country.