Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

On Australia Day, we celebrate this most remarkable nation of 24 million Australians. It has the oldest human civilisation in the world, that of our First Australians, which is 65,000 years old. Our ceremonies and our celebrations on Australia Day begin with an acknowledgement of country and a welcome to country, and conclude with the newest Australians. And every one of those Australians, our First Australians and the youngest baby in the newest citizen's arms, are all part of our great multicultural nation. We have so much to celebrate and so much of which to be proud.

In a world riven by discord and violence, we are united in our Australian values, and we celebrate those on Australia Day. We recognise that the history of European settlement in Australia has been complex and tragic for Indigenous Australians. We recognise the complexities and the challenges of our history. But on Australia Day we recognise the greatness of our achievement as Australians, we recognise the remarkable nation we have become, we recognise and honour our first Australians and our newest migrant citizens. We bring all that together in a day that is uniquely and proudly Australian, and that is why my government and every government before me in this House has urged Australians to celebrate Australia Day, to get behind it, to be proud of it, to be committed to it. That is why the recent decision of the Yarra Council is utterly out of step with Australian values. They are seeking to take a day which unites Australia and turn it into one which divides us. To change the date of Australia Day would be to turn our back on Australian values, on the great achievement of 24 million Australians, here in the greatest, most successful multicultural society in the world.

Government members: Hear, hear!

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