I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Richard Morecroft. As the face and the voice of the news of the ABC, Richard became a beloved part of Australian life. 

Combining a consummate professionalism with an unyielding humanity, Richard was a figure of absolute trust, a warm and familiar presence who guided us through the good times and bad. 

Today, we pause to remember the devastation that Hamas unleashed in the terrorist attack in Israel on the 7th of October, 2023. 

On this dark anniversary, we remember the 1200 who were taken from the world, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust.

We think of everyone who was dragged into captivity, everyone who never returned home to their families, and everyone forever scarred by what they endured. 

Our nation’s thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the Australian Army soldier who has tragically died during a training exercise in the Northern Territory yesterday.  

Our thoughts are also with the five other Australian Army soldiers who were injured in the incident, and we wish them a speedy recovery. 

There are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country's name. This sad incident is a terrible reminder of what families take on when their loved one bravely puts on our nation's uniform. 

It's wonderful to be here in Fiji and to also be visiting Tuvalu in what is the important meeting leading up to the Climate Change Conference next month. It is important that Pacific voices are heard, because the Pacific is the front line of action on climate change. For many of the nations represented by leaders here, it is literally a threat to their very existence, which is why the world must act. We know that we're seeing more intense and more extreme weather events, more frequent on occasion, because of the science on climate change has told us that that would occur.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Fiji and Tuvalu from 5 to 7 October 2026 for the Pre-COP Leaders’ event.  

At COP30, Australia secured the role of COP31 President of Negotiations and agreement to deliver a Pacific-hosted Pre-COP, including a special Leaders’ event. Australia will co-host the event with Fiji and Tuvalu.

With the passing of Bruce Baird, Australia has lost a real gentleman and a true parliamentarian. 

Bruce had the uncommon distinction of serving his nation as a Liberal member at both the state and federal level, including as Transport Minister in the Greiner NSW Government. It was a portfolio he handled with such aplomb that I was pleased to appoint him years later as the inaugural chair of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Board.

Then of course there was his glittering success as the minister in charge of Sydney’s bid for the 2000 Olympic Games.

JESS TEESDALE, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BASS: Thank you so much everyone for being here today. I look around and see so many people who have worked tirelessly for months and months for this day to get here. Do you know what? Uncertainty is a terrible thing. For 18 months, the 550 workers here at Bell Bay Aluminium have faced that uncertainty. They've been putting decisions about their future on hold, whether to buy a house, get another dog, or maybe even to start a family. They then had to go through watching Liberty go through the toughest of times.

The Albanese and Rockliff Governments are securing the future of Bell Bay Aluminium smelter, supporting the facility’s 550 workers, their families and the 1,000 workers indirectly employed across Northern Tasmania. 

We want to see Australia make more things here.

This investment will boost jobs in the region while strengthening our national sovereignty.

The Bell Bay smelter is a major contributor to Tasmania's industrial and manufacturing sectors and is vital to the Northern Tasmanian regional economy.

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 here tonight for the launch of Three Shocks – Who We Are Becoming in the 21st Century.

In this age of shrinking attention spans, George Megalogenis stands out as a rarity.

With his eye for detail and his capacity for joining the dots, George makes a valuable contribution to the national discourse every time he hits the keyboard.

DANIEL MULINO, ASSISTANT TREASURER: Hi, I'm Daniel Mulino. It's great to be here in Melbourne's west in my electorate for an announcement in relation to a very significant transport and infrastructure project. The Melbourne Airport Rail Link is going to transform transport in the West and also be a major economic contributor to Victoria. This is a project that is long overdue, so it's wonderful to be here today for this announcement.