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

It is such a pleasure to be with you all tonight – with the membership of a union that has made such a real difference in the life and health of our nation.

A union whose ranks are made strong by heroes of the pandemic.

I would particularly like to acknowledge National Secretary Lloyd Williams and National President Gerard Hayes.

Leadership is challenging enough when things are relatively easy.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well good morning, and it’s absolutely wonderful to be back here in this beautiful city of Hobart for what is a very exciting announcement, being joined by the Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, by the local federal Member, Andrew Wilkie, by the Minister for Environment, Tanya Plibersek, and by Senator Catryna Bilyk, as well as by TASPORTS who are here to answer any difficult technical questions if they should arise.

The Albanese Government has secured Hobart’s future as the home port of Australia’s icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, and the long-term future of the Australian Antarctic Program in Tasmania.

An agreement between the Federal and Tasmanian Government for a new, fit-for-purpose Macquarie Wharf 6 has been reached, locking in Tasmania as Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Gateway.

The Albanese Government will contribute $188 million over four years to construct a new Macquarie Wharf 6 in the Port of Hobart.

The Albanese Government will establish a consolidated Commonwealth-owned Defence Precinct at Western Australia’s Henderson shipyard to underpin tens of billions of dollars of investment in defence capabilities in the West over the next two decades and support in the order of 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled local jobs.

The establishment of a consolidated Defence Precinct at Henderson is the critical next step in delivering continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia.

The Albanese Government is taking action to stop businesses ripping off Australians by banning unfair trading practices under the Australian Consumer Law.

This is about easing the cost of living and getting a fair go for consumers and suppliers.

From concert tickets to hotel rooms and gym memberships, Australians are fed up with businesses using tricky tactics that make it difficult to end subscriptions or add hidden fees to purchases.

These practices can distort purchasing decisions, or result in additional costs, putting more pressure on the cost of living.

JIM CHALMERS, TREASURER: Welcome to the most important electorate in Australia, the People's Republic of Rankin. Welcome to PM, Clare, Meaghan, this is our home patch. Cameron Dick and I and Shannon Fentiman, we're really proudly represent this part of South East Queensland. We've got really two fantastic announcements to be making today. The first one, which Clare will elaborate on, is that we are announcing more money for this part of the world for more housing.

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering significant housing projects that will build more than 1,000 homes – right across southeast Queensland.

We are helping to make sure every Queenslander has safe and secure housing. The housing supply shortage in Australia is a problem decades in the making.

We are boosting supply to make housing more affordable. The Albanese Government is spearheading the largest investment in social and affordable housing for a decade.

The Albanese Government is cracking down on unfair and excessive card surcharges to get a better deal for Australians and small businesses at the physical and online checkout.

Today the Government is announcing $2.1 million of new funding for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to tackle excessive surcharges, with further work underway to reduce payment fees.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's great to be here today. We've been with the local candidate for Bonney, Kyle Kelly-Collins, and importantly as well my friend Steven Miles, the Premier of Queensland, and we've just been on a light rail trip. A light rail trip that wouldn't have been possible if it had been left up to the LNP. Because when we put $365 million in the 2009 Budget to begin Gold Coast Light Rail – which is now up to stage three – it was opposed by the LNP federally. It was opposed by the LNP here in Queensland.

The Albanese Labor Government is pleased to announce the appointment of Gavan Reynolds AO as the next Australian Border Force (ABF) Commissioner.

The new Commissioner will be sworn in on Sunday 10 November 2024.

Mr Reynolds brings a wealth of experience from his over 40 years of service to the nation, most recently as the Australian Defence Force’s inaugural Chief of Defence Intelligence.