Peter Dutton: ‘We have every reason to be patriotic and proud’ on Australia Day

Peter Dutton believes we have a duty to hand over to the next generation a country better than the one we inherited, and we can because there is one attribute that binds us all.

Our great nation, Australia, is an achievement worth celebrating, especially on Australia Day.

As Australians, we have every reason to be patriotic and proud.

Yes, Australia doesn’t have an unblemished past. No country does. But if we look at our history in the round, our achievements and successes far outweigh our wrongdoings and failures. Unlike other countries, we have accepted our dark chapters, apologised for them, and learnt from them. And we certainly have fewer dark chapters than most other countries.

Australia was formed without civil war or the level of bloodshed most other countries have known. Indeed, a defining national achievement has been the weaving together of the Indigenous, British, and migrant threads of our story – each bestowing an inheritance and each with complementary qualities. We should celebrate the fact that we have such an incredible migrant story in this country, which I feel we don’t talk often enough about.

And thanks to this inheritance from those who have gone before us, we are citizens today of one of the safest, egalitarian and prosperous nations in the world.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says “to be an Australian is to have won the lottery of life”. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

To be an Australian is to have won the lottery of life – and on Australia Day, we should be proud.

Australia Day is a celebration of the greatest country in the world, and we should not be afraid of celebrating it.

We owe so much to those who came before us. Gratitude to Indigenous Australians who cared for the land. Gratitude to British settlers who gifted us the institutions and ideas that have underpinned our democracy. Gratitude to the farmers, miners, labourers, builders, manufacturers and constitutional drafters who transformed colonies into a federated country.

Gratitude to the soldiers, sailors and airmen who served to defend our nation and deter and defeat evil, including the more than 103,000 who gave their lives. Gratitude to the migrants who arrived after World War II and in the decades after who embraced our values, helped build our modern nation, and became cherished Australians.

With gratitude to our forebears comes responsibility. We are the custodians of a remarkable legacy. And as custodians, we have a duty to hand over to the next generation a country better than the one we inherited. It’s our sense of responsibility and mateship which makes Australia tick.

“I hope all Australians spend a moment of quiet reflection today on the great nation we have become.” Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

For over 20 years, I have celebrated Australia Day in my electorate. It’s a day of celebration and pride. It’s a day to welcome the newest Australians who join us on Team Australia at a citizenship ceremony. It’s a day to give thanks. It’s a day to be proud to be Australian.

I hope all Australians spend a moment of quiet reflection today on the great nation we have become and that our best days are ahead of us. Let’s celebrate the greatest country on earth.

Happy Australia Day to all.

Peter Dutton has been leader of the Liberal Party since 2022.