ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone, and I look forward to being optimistic in 2025 about building Australia's future. We're here today for a very significant announcement. Before you hear from political representatives I want to introduce you to Wayne Sachs. Wayne Sachs is an Ambo who came to see me way back in 2009, in February 2009, in Parliament House to talk to me firsthand about his experience of attending accidents here on the Bruce Highway. Accidents which all too often resulted in fatalities or in serious injuries.

Queenslanders deserve a long term plan for essential infrastructure, and the Albanese Government is delivering that certainty as we build Australia’s future.

The Albanese Government will provide an additional $7.2 billion to upgrade and fix the Bruce Highway in Queensland, to bring it up to a minimum three-star safety rating.

This historic funding is the single largest investment ever into the Bruce Highway, and brings the Australian Government’s total outlay for the 1,673 km road to more than $17 billion.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, I do want to thank all of the volunteers and workers who've been showing us around this control centre here this morning who are doing extraordinary work. At the worst of times Australians show the best of their character, and we've seen that on full display here this morning. Whether they be local volunteers, whether they be professional firefighting services, or whether they be people who've come from interstate - Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Tasmania, South Australia - in order to lend a helping hand.

The Albanese Labor Government is activating financial support for Victorians directly affected by bushfires burning in and around the Grampians National Park and Macedon Ranges – through the Disaster Recovery Allowance.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance provides up to 13 weeks of income support for workers and sole traders who have experienced loss of income as a result of recent bushfires in the Rural City of Ararat, Shire of Macedon Ranges, Shire of Northern Grampians and Shire of Southern Grampians.

LUKE GOSLING, MEMBER FOR SOLOMON: Good morning everyone, and welcome to beautiful Darwin, to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, where it's just been an absolute pleasure to be taken through the new Cyclone Tracy exhibition. We're so thankful to have our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, here with us in Darwin for this really special anniversary, the 50th anniversary of when Cyclone Tracy visited bad times, terror on this community, but in the aftermath of that, we rebuilt, and that's what we're also celebrating.

CONOR BYRNE, HOST: Your special guest this morning, spending his Christmas in the top end this year, your Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Prime Minister, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Wonderful to be here for what's a really important commemoration of 50 years since Cyclone Tracy devastated this great city.

Honoured guests.

My fellow Australians.

Fifty years ago, children across Darwin went to bed dreaming of Santa Claus and Christmas and awoke to a nightmare.

The sound of torrential rain gave way to the screech of corrugated iron as sheets ripped from roofs hurtled through the sky and scraped across the ground at over 200 kilometres an hour.

Windows shattered.

Trees uprooted.

Cars upended.

Fibro walls torn clean away.

An entire city almost wiped off the map.  

I want to wish every Australian a very merry Christmas.

For so many, this can be a chance for a well-earned break, spending time with family and catching up with friends, and creating beautiful new memories with those that we love.

For Christians, of course, this is a holy celebration.

For all of us, it is a season of generosity and kindness.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm delighted to be here at Gough Whitlam Park, here in Earlwood, to announce Ash Ambihaipahar as our candidate for the Federal election for Barton. Of course, Ash will replace Linda Burney. And I do want to pay tribute to Linda Burney for her many years of service in the Federal Parliament as a Minister, in the State Parliament as a Minister and as someone who is cherished very much as a great Australian.

China has today notified Australia that full resumption of live rock lobster trade can recommence.

The Australian Government welcomed this notification which followed agreement between Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Li in October 2024 to resume live rock lobster trade by the end of this year.

This is a major win for our hard-hit live rock lobster industry and follows sustained engagement and advocacy by government and industry. We thank the Australian live rock lobster industry for its patience and resilience as we worked to reinstate market access.