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.

Every year, Minerals Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate the contribution the resources industry makes to our nation.

Tonight, this great hall is home to some of our nation’s biggest exporters and employers.

Some of the oldest firms in Australian business - and some of the most exciting new growth stories in the Australian economy.  

Friends, this is an anniversary truly worth celebrating. Thirty years since delegates to the 1994 Australian Labor Party National Conference took the decision to adopt Affirmative Action with the aim of equal representation.

I am proud I was one of the delegates to that Conference.

Ten years after the great Susan Ryan gave us the Sex Discrimination Act, we took the crucial step of adopting quotas for women to be pre-selected in winnable seats.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Australian families trust our early educators with the thing that is most precious – their young Australians. And we know that it makes such an enormous difference to them, but it also makes an enormous difference to our economy by increasing workforce participation and making a difference so that people can fully participate in the workforce. We know that these early educators do an amazing job, and they deserve our thanks, but they also deserve a decent wage. Which is why my Government will increase their wages by 15 per cent.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: National Cabinet came together today to take steps forward on what is out shared commitment to end violence against women and children. This is the second special National Cabinet convened to deal with these issues following our meeting in May. Today we're announcing a new $4.7 billion has been established for gender based violence and frontline legal services through new agreements between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories.

Today National Cabinet signed a Heads of Agreement for a new National Access to Justice Partnership that will provide a critical increase of nearly $800 million in funding over five years from 2025-26 to the legal assistance sector, with a focus on uplifting legal services responding to gender-based violence.

The Commonwealth Government will invest a total of $3.9 billion in support for frontline legal assistance services to be delivered through a new partnership agreement with the states and territories.

National Cabinet met in Canberra today to agree practical next steps to accelerate action to end gender-based violence in a generation and deliver on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

First Ministers agreed that ending the national crisis of gender-based violence, including violence against children and young people, will remain an ongoing priority for National Cabinet. First Ministers acknowledged that a coordinated approach across all states and territories is required to address this national crisis.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks everyone, and thanks for coming to Canberra, except for Andrew, who lives here, everyone  for making the effort. And welcome to Lia, to your first National Cabinet meeting. We know that ending gender-based violence is a priority for the Commonwealth and for every single jurisdiction. There are too many stories, tragically, almost no week goes past without there being a tragedy, which is something that then flows on to intergenerational issues as well.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks for joining us. My friend Bill Shorten has decided that he will not be contesting the next election. It's a big decision for him, for Chloe and their family, who are joining us here today. Chloe and Clementine, welcome. And Bill and I have had a number of conversations over this, about this, over a period of time. I think it's a credit to Bill that this news will come as a surprise.

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 privilege to be here with you today.

The arrival of Street Side Medics in Melbourne represents a fresh chapter in a great Australian story – a story that begins with a great Australian and former Young Australian of the Year, Dr Daniel Nour.

I know Dr Nour is keen to emphasise what a team effort it’s been. To quote him:

TANIA LAWRENCE, MEMBER FOR HASLUCK: Good morning, everyone. My name is Tania Lawrence. I'm the Federal Member for Hasluck. I welcome you to Darlington. This is the lands of the Noongar Whadjuk people, and it's an incredibly beautiful part of the seat of Hasluck. But for the upcoming election, the boundaries will change. So for many of the communities that I represent, particularly the Perth Hills and the Foothills, it will now become the federal seat of Bullwinkel.