Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reveals why he celebrates Australia Day

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed why he celebrates Australia Day and what we all share as we look to the future.

Australia Day is an opportunity to celebrate everything we’ve built together and to be optimistic for the future we can shape together.

It’s a chance for all of us to reflect on how lucky we are to live in the greatest country on Earth and to think about what we can do to make our nation even better in the years ahead.

There is so much that sets Australia apart. We are a young nation, on an ancient continent. Nowhere else on the planet can match the natural beauty of our environment, country that Aboriginal and Torres Islander people have cared for over 60,000 years. Offering all of us the unique privilege of sharing in the world’s oldest continuous culture.

We are an old and trailblazing democracy and a world leader in free and fair elections. We have always been proud to set international standards on the rights of working people and the strength of our social safety net.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there are many things that sets Australia apart from the rest of the world. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

That combination of ambition and egalitarianism is what built national institutions like Medicare. An essential service and also an expression of what it means to be Australian. The simple, unshakeable principle that every one of us has an equal right to quality health care – no matter where we live or what we earn.

We treasure our freedoms and we honour those who have fought to defend them. The generations of Australians who have risked and lost their lives in the service of our country and the cause of peace. The Australia we celebrate together is their legacy.

Our modern nation is also the product of generations of migrants who have come here in search of a better life for their children. Their aspiration has made our country a better place and our multicultural society offers us a family connection to every nation in the world.

Just as we all cherish this diversity, we all have a responsibility to uphold it and defend it. To ensure that, whatever might be happening elsewhere in the world, we work to hold Australia’s social cohesion together. So that in our communities and our country everyone can live, worship and study in peace and safety. Proud of who they are, confident in feeling they belong.

There’s something special about the fact that Australia Day is the most popular time for citizenship ceremonies. It is always a privilege to see the joy and pride as people from every background and tradition join their story to ours, pledging themselves to our laws and – just as importantly – to our values.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia Day is a time to reflect on the past and think about what we can do to make our nation even better in the years ahead. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Because while the world changes and the challenges we face continue to evolve, our Australian values endure. We are still the home of the fair go, still a place where how hard you work matters more than where you come from and still a nation where our first instinct in hard times is to look after each other.

I was reminded of that once again on Christmas morning in Darwin, where more than 1000 people gathered to commemorate 50 years since Cyclone Tracy devastated that community. Every survivor had a unique story to tell, yet the common threads were so typically and timelessly Australian.

Humility and humour when discussing their own bravery, gratitude to those who’d been there to help and, above all, concern for others who were worse off. A shared resilience in the face of adversity, a unifying determination to rebuild stronger and better than before.

I saw the same spirit in action at the Horsham Incident Control Centre just before New Year. Queenslanders and Tasmanians who’d given up their Christmas to help local firefighters and first responders protect farms and homes from the Grampians bushfires. Yet again, the worst of nature reveals the best of the Australian character.

Darwin residents during the post-Cyclone Tracy evacuation of the city. Picture: National Archives of Australia

The courage of Australians reveals itself in so many ways. The courage of those who serve in uniform and keep us safe, the courage of farmers battling an unforgiving country, the courage of those who start a business, drive a breakthrough, study or train for a new career, care for our loved ones and educate our children.

The courage of all those people who work hard, make sacrifices and persevere even when times are tough because they are driven by the oldest and deepest Australian aspiration: the aspiration for a better life and greater opportunity for the next generation.

We must continue to nourish this aspiration and work to bring it in reach of every Australian, particularly those still seeking an equal chance at a good life for their children.

I find the courage of everyday Australians a source of continuing inspiration; it is also the foundation of my optimism for our nation’s future.

In the years ahead, there will be new challenges to face, new opportunities to grasp, new technologies to master, new skills to learn and new industries to build, but it is our fundamental values, and our people’s enduring qualities that will see Australia seize this moment and make it our own.

This is what we celebrate together on Australia Day: the strengths we have, the values we hold and the courage our people show, every day.

Our national story contains heartbreak and hardship, triumph and disaster, dark times and bright days. We belong to all of it, we’ve learnt from all of it. Above all, we know the best chapter is yet to be written.

With courage, kindness, a fair go for all and faith in each other, we can shape Australia’s future together. Happy Australia Day.

Anthony Albanese is Australia’s 31st Prime Minister.