Can I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which meet and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging, and recommit, as I do now on behalf of the Australian Government, to the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.

Can I express my appreciation for all of you for being here, and for your leadership in this journey. And, as a non-Indigenous Australian, express my appreciation for the generosity of the offer which is embodied and enshrined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

National Cabinet met in Canberra today to discuss national priorities.

COVID-19

The Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. First Ministers discussed a nationally consistent approach to transition Australia’s COVID-19 response on the basis of the following principles:

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: I do want to begin by briefly mentioning the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian in Florida, and extend my deepest sympathies on behalf of Australia to all of those who have been affected in the Florida Peninsula, the Cayman Islands and Cuba. The images of the destruction and suffering has sent a shock of grief and sympathy right around the world. Australia has stood together with the US in times of natural disaster.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea the Honourable James Marape MP to Australia on Sunday 25 September for a Guest of Government visit.

Prime Minister Marape and Prime Minister Albanese will attend the Prime Minister’s XIII Rugby League matches on Sunday evening at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Rugby league has formed a key part of the relationship between Papua New Guinea and Australia for decades.

The first PM’s XIII was played in 2005 at Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby, with the match to return to PNG next year.

In September 2021, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced AUKUS, an enhanced trilateral security partnership. The need for this partnership is as clear today as it was a year ago. We stand together to support an international order that respects human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion. AUKUS is a central element in our efforts to achieve these aims.

HOST: Good morning and welcome to the show. Hi, everybody.

HOST: Very special guest live in the studio this morning. He must be important because there is an entourage.

HOST: An entourage.

HOST: Quite a few people taking photos. Our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. He's grabbing the chicken already. Excuse me.

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning.

HOST: Prime Minister, welcome. Welcome to the 4BC studios.

HOST: Are we all upstanding? Can we please – let me play this. The one and only Anthony Albanese is in the building, is in the room. 

HOST: Anthony Albanese, we ran the risk of getting rid of listeners by telling people you are coming so we gave them warning. Hopefully someone’s still listening.

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Come on. The ratings will go up

HOST: Mate, he just offered you a 20, he pulled his wallet out.

The Albanese Government will introduce legislation this week to establish a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.

This shows the Government is delivering on its promise to tackle corruption and restore trust and integrity to federal politics.

The Government has committed $262 million over four years for the establishment and ongoing operation of the Commission.

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, thank you very much for the welcome on my second visit to Japan as Prime Minister. It is important that Australia show our condolence to yourself as Prime Minister, but also to the people of Japan on the tragic loss of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. He was very well respected. And as an international statesperson, it is clear that the Quad Leaders’ dialogue would not have occurred without his leadership.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It is a great honour for me to be here in Tokyo to pay tribute to the life of Shinzo Abe. The tragic circumstances of his assassination are something that reverberated around the world. I'm here with three former prime ministers, Prime Minister Howard, Prime Minister Abbott and Prime Minister Turnbull. What that says is how important the relationship between Australia and Japan is. It also says how important the respect is, and the standing Shinzo Abe had.