I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting.

I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.

I also pass on my respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that are with us here this morning.

And I particularly want to acknowledge every member of the Stolen Generations who are here with us today.

It is such an honour for me to be here with you.

Just as it was an extraordinary honour for me to be able to play a part in that extraordinary day sixteen years ago.

CHRIS O’KEEFE, HOST: Well, this is a bit concerning, seven murderers, 37 sex offenders and 72 violent criminals, none of them Australian citizens mind you, all of them released into our community after the High Court determined that they could not be kept in detention indefinitely. However, the Albanese Government rushed through laws that allows them to preventatively detain them. But then we learn today the Government has not applied to have a single one of them put back behind bars.

CATHERINE KING, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Thanks everybody. Can I thank very much the Prime Minister for attending the 20th anniversary here in Ballarat of the Australian Ex-Prisoner of War Memorial. This is such a significant memorial to all Australian ex-prisoners of war. Their stories, their voices, their families are so grateful that we've had the first Prime Minister to ever visit this memorial as a serving Prime Minister.

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.

I’m delighted to be here in Ballarat.

The course of our national history has been shaped and changed here.

It’s a place where leaders were born.

A place where the past is present.

And we find an important part of our past here at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, which speaks of a different chapter in our nation’s story.

OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: Joining me on the phone is the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Good afternoon.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, Ollie. Always good to talk with you.

PETERSON: You’re riding high after the first week of parliament because you got your tax cuts through, you got the IR laws in the Senate last night. Are you back?

MARK DREYFUS, MEMBER FOR ISAACS: Morning everyone. It's an absolute pleasure to be here in the great electorate of Isaacs in Dingley, for the opening of the Hawthorn Football Club’s Kennedy Centre. It's been a long time coming. I was here on the 2nd of March 2019, with the now Prime Minister in a different capacity when he was Shadow Minister for Infrastructure. We made a commitment then, back on the 2nd of March 2019, and here we are today in 2024 with the turning of the first sod.

TOM ELLIOTT, HOST: Anthony joins us. Anthony, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: G'day, Tom. How are you going?

ELLIOTT: Mr Albanese, good morning. How are you?

SARAH MACDONALD, HOST: I welcome the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, back to the show. Good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Sarah. Good to be with you.

Work is underway on the $113 million Kennedy Community Centre Stage 1 Project, which is set to elevate the Hawthorn Football Club facilities to a nationally-significant sporting venue.

Once complete, the centre will include the ‘Harris’ Elite Training and Administration Facility, which will comprise of an MCG-sized oval with lighting, an indoor training field, aquatic facilities, unisex change rooms, function centre, public amenities and a carpark area with lighting.

1. Prime Minister James Marape and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held the fifth Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Leaders’ Dialogue on 8 February 2024 in Canberra.
2. Leaders acknowledged the cultural, historical and geographical bond that continues to build the closer connection between Australia and Papua New Guinea.