Australia welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage agreement in Gaza after 15 months of conflict and a devastating loss of civilian life.

Australia has consistently been part of the international call for a ceasefire and release of hostages.

We urge all parties to respect its terms and safeguard a lasting peace, including ensuring the immediate release of all hostages and unimpeded and sustained increases in humanitarian assistance to all parts of Gaza.

REBECCA WHITE, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR LYONS: Thank you for being here with us in Brighton today. I'd like to thank the Mayor, Leigh Gray, for joining us, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, and, of course, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who's a great friend of Tasmania, he's regularly here in our state. He understands our community very well, and he's a great Prime Minister for all Australians, and that's why this announcement, I think, is so important for our community.

A $12.7 million investment for the redevelopment of the Princess Theatre and Earl Street Arts Centre will ensure Launceston’s home of theatre lives on.

The Albanese Government has committed to upgrading the 100-year-old heritage-listed Princess Theatre as well as the construction of a new contemporary Earl Street Theatre, with the hope of ensuring the community stalwart thrives for another 100 years.

During construction, the project is anticipated to create 280 jobs, and once complete, provide an estimated $73.65 million boost to the region’s economy.

ANNE URQUHART, SENATOR FOR TASMANIA: Well, thanks very much everyone for being here. I'm Anne Urquhart, Labor Senator for Tasmania, based right here in Devonport. It's really exciting today to have the Prime Minister in town and also Katy Gallagher. And I'm here with the Mayor, and I'm here with representatives from Rural Health too, who will be part of this wonderful announcement that we've got.

The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future through delivering over $10 million to upgrade two key pieces of community infrastructure in Hobart and surrounding regions.

More than $10 million has been allocated to the South Brighton Development Precinct to help unlock up to 600 more homes.

The funding, delivered through the Housing Support Program, will go to critical infrastructure including a new sewerage pump, upgrading local roads and delivering a shared path to connect the development to the Brighton Industrial Hub.

The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future, today announcing over $6 million to improve the everyday lives of North West Tasmanians.

$6 million in Federal funding has been allocated to continue the revitalisation of Devonport’s CBD by delivering Stage 3 of the Local Council’s Living City project.

My Government has a vision to Build Australia’s Future, and last week Infrastructure Minister Catherine King and I travelled across the north of our great continent to deliver it.

It’s an ambitious vision to build everything from roads and homes to the health system and education.

In short, all the things that help Australians build the futures they aspire to.

It’s a vision that has at its heart a determination to seize the opportunities that are within our reach, and it begins with Australia’s greatest resource: our people.

The Prime Minister today convened a meeting to address rising incidents of antisemitism in the community with Premier Allan of Victoria, Acting Premier Sharpe of New South Wales and the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw APM.

All three governments agreed to continue working relentlessly together to stop these incidents and to ensure that those responsible are found and face the full force of the law. This has involved information sharing between law enforcement agencies, updating legislation and jointly supporting affected communities.

FIONA PHILLIPS, MEMBER FOR GILMORE: Good morning everyone. Welcome to our beautiful Nowra riverfront, which we're going to make even more beautiful. I'm really delighted to be here today with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, my good friend Liza Butler, the State Member for South Coast, and the Shoalhaven Mayor, Patricia White. And I'm really grateful for them coming today. The Shoalhaven riverfront here at Nowra provides – is so important to me. It holds great personal significance.

The Albanese Government is building Australia’s future by delivering infrastructure that connects regional communities and eases the everyday lives of locals. 

We’ve listened to the people of Shoalhaven, and today we are announcing $5 million for the Nowra Riverfront Precinct – a new mixed-use hub that will reconnect Nowra city centre with the Shoalhaven River waterfront.

The new precinct will transform Nowra for locals and visitors alike, shaping the future of the town and strengthening its role as the civic and tourism centre for the Shoalhaven region.