The great gift of Australia Day is that it gives us the perfect opportunity to come together to celebrate everything that unites us as a nation and makes us the best country on earth.

We look back on the fullness and richness of our history, recognising our extraordinary privilege in sharing this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture in all its wisdom and resilience.

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.

Your Excellency, distinguished guests.

My fellow Australians.

What a wonderful phrase that is.

It gives me particular pleasure to direct it to those of who have taken your seats as citizens of India, New Zealand, Türkiye, the United States, Nigeria, Malaysia, Nepal, and the United Kingdom but will leave here as our fellow Australians.

ROSS SOLLY, HOST: My name is Ross Solly and I'm very happy to say I've been joined here by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Prime Minister, welcome.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you, Ross. What an inspirational evening.

SOLLY: What an eclectic lot.

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

As Australians we have the unique privilege of sharing this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture.

That is a source of pride, for all of us.

Distinguished guests, my fellow Australians.

Every year, on the eve of our national day, we honour the people who represent our national values.

The hard work and aspiration that have built our prosperity.

DAVID SPEERS, HOST: We're going straight to the Prime Minister this morning. Anthony Albanese, welcome back to the programme.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Happy Australia Day weekend.

SPEERS: Indeed. Look, the Coalition has split again. The right of politics is realigning. Does this worry you at all, or are you loving this?

The Albanese Government will recommend to the Governor-General that Mr Greg Moriarty AO be Australia’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.

Mr Moriarty is uniquely experienced to take forward the Australia-US alliance. He has unsurpassed credentials across Australia’s international policy from his senior roles in the Australian Public Service, including Secretary of the Department of Defence since 2017.

LISA SHAW, HOST: Welcome for the first time this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Thanks for coming in.

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

RUSSELL CLARKE, HOST: Good morning, Prime Minister.

SHAW: It's been a whirlwind -

CLARE: 24 hours.

SHAW: Few hours.

CLARKE: Not even 24 hours.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I want to pay tribute to Tim Picton. He was brilliant, full of joy, full of life. And for that life to be tragically cut short at just 36 years of age is indeed a tragedy, not just for his family and friends, but for the state of Western Australia and the entire nation. Tim had an amazing future that was cut short by this dreadful act of violence. It is indeed a tragedy. And my heart goes out to Priya and his beautiful daughter, Charlotte, who is the apple of his eye.

MARK GIBSON, HOST: That is Dr Hawke. Yes, Dr Hawke with Walk Right In on 720 ABC Perth. And kind of appropriate, because walking right into the studio is the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who had a little spring in his step listening to that.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Mark. Yeah, I haven't heard that for many a year, but they were a fun band, weren't they?

My fellow Australians

Tonight should have been nothing more than a regular Thursday night, our beautiful city brightened by the light of another 15 lives.

Fifteen lives illuminated by possibility, opportunity, and dreams.

Tragically we are gathered here because on the 14th of December, everything changed. And for that, I am sorry.

We cherish the promise that this country is a safe harbour. But sadly that promise was broken.

You came to celebrate a festival of light and freedom and you were met with the violence of hatred.