Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to India from 8 –11 March at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister’s visit to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi will further deepen our strategic, economic and people to people ties with India, a close friend and partner to Australia.

MARY DOYLE, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR ASTON: Good morning everyone. I just wanted to say thank you to the Prime Minister for coming all the way out here to Aston, and particularly to Boronia and for launching my campaign. It's been wonderful. And we're working very, very hard over the next few weeks, and always actually, for the people of Aston. So over to the Prime Minister, thank you Anthony.
 

ANTHONY ALBANESE PRIME MINISTER: This is a celebration of unity. A bridge symbolises bringing people together. And this is about bringing together the Australian community, celebrating diversity, but also acknowledging that around the world, at WorldPride, that many people still suffer because of who they are, because of their sexuality.
 
JOURNALIST: Is that why you think it's so important for Sydney to hold this as a visual symbol that change can happen?
 

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 am proud to lead a government committed to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in full.

Later today, I’ll be on my way to India.

I’ll be joined on that trip by 25 CEOs and business leaders – in transport, resources, finance, higher education, architecture and energy – one of the biggest and most significant Australian business delegations to ever visit any of our trading partners.

PHIL COOREY, HOST: Thanks, Prime Minister. My name is Phil Coorey, I'm the political editor of the AFR. And we've got time for a quick Q and A with the PM before he has to get back to Parliament. So, again, appreciate your time. This is the first time the summit has overlapped with a sitting day.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I can give you a lift back.

COOREY: I’ve got to stay for Peter Dutton.

PRIME MINISTER: The offer stands.

Namaskar.

Thank you to Your Excellency Devvrat for hosting me at Raj Bhawan.

Thank you as well to Chief Minister Patel for welcoming me to your state of Gujarat.

This isn’t my first Holi — it’s definitely a highlight on the Australian festival calendar — but it is my first in India.

And it’s great to be celebrating here, in Gujarat.

Holi is a chance to renew ourselves — and each other.

And it’s little wonder it has been so heartily embraced back home in Australia, by people of all backgrounds.

JEREMY FERNANDEZ, HOST: Anthony Albanese, welcome to Mardi Gras 45.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: How fantastic is this?

FERNANDEZ: You are no stranger, you have marched in Mardi Gras before.

PRIME MINISTER: I think this is my 35th Mardi Gras. The first one was 1983. I'm showing my age there.

FERNANDEZ: First one as Prime Minister. That is a significant moment.

TIM MCMILLAN, HOST: Prime Minister, welcome back to the West.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be here.

MCMILLAN: Obviously, the Voice is the dominant topic in the Australian dialogue at the moment. It was one of the very first things you mention the night you claimed victory.

SARAH HARRIS, HOST: Joining us is the first sitting PM to march in Mardi Gras, Anthony Albanese. Albo, what do you think it means for the country that the Prime Minister is marching in Mardi Gras?

Today the Prime Minister led a Cyber Security Roundtable, focused on the whole-of-nation effort required to protect Australians and our economy, with the aim of making Australia the most cyber secure nation by 2030.

We invited leaders from the public service and our intelligence agencies, and independent experts from business, industry and civil society, to share their expertise and experience.