THOMAS ORITI, HOST: As 2024 draws to a close and summer is upon us, Parliament has had a mammoth final week. A late marathon sitting of the year past 45 pieces of legislation, there was a lot in there, bills on migration, housing reform, social media that ban for those under 16 as well. And that rush on bills has led to speculation from some that Labor could be preparing for an early election. And as many of us are preparing to have a more restrained Christmas in the meantime, the Government's conceded there's more work to do to help ease cost of living pressures.

When it comes to the wellbeing of our young people, I don’t want Australia to wait around on the rest of the world – I want Australia to lead the world.

In what was an incredibly busy and productive week, I was proud to deliver on our commitment to support parents and protect young people by setting a minimum age of 16 years for social media.

It’s all about making sure children have a childhood and parents have peace of mind.

What we have done is more than set a new minimum age – we are setting a new community standard.

DAVID SPEERS, HOST: Prime Minister, welcome to the program.

PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you.

SPEERS. So, are these environment laws gone for good or does it remain your intention to implement them?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's our intention to proceed with them, but we'll proceed with them on the basis of our values that we put forward. These laws could have been carried at any time over recent months if the Parliament had the numbers to vote for them.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, everyone. We know the real value of what happens in here is the difference that it makes to people's lives out there. And my government has always been focused on making Australians lives better. We know that we have more work to do on cost of living, but we're making progress. We understand the pressure that people are under as a result of the global inflation surge. But the action that my government's taken, led by these two fine economic Ministers here with me this morning, is making a positive difference.

The Australian Government has today announced Mr David Shankey will be appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Net Zero Economy Authority.

The appointment comes as the Government’s Future Made in Australia legislation passes Parliament, a major step forward in making Australia indispensable to the global net zero transformation.

Mr Shankey brings significant senior leadership experience in energy and climate policy and a track record of delivering future-focused reforms with local communities front and centre.

SARAH FERGUSON: Prime Minister, welcome to 7.30.

PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you.

FERGUSON: Given the bumper harvest of legislation in this fortnight and especially in the last few hours, is there any big legislation that you need to secure before you call an election?

The Albanese Government has delivered on its commitment to support parents and protect young people by setting a minimum age of 16 years for social media, with legislation passing Parliament today.

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 is a landmark measure that will deliver greater protections for young Australians during critical stages of their development.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with the President of the Czech Republic, His Excellency Mr Petr Pavel, today in Canberra.

This is the first visit by a Czech President to Australia in 29 years.

Australia and the Czech Republic are likeminded partners, our relationship is underpinned by shared values and a mutual understanding of contemporary global challenges.

Prime Minister Albanese and President Pavel reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, and reiterated this support would continue from both countries for as long as it takes.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you, Peter, for that warm introduction.

I’d like to acknowledge all our distinguished guests tonight, including all my parliamentary colleagues.

I especially want to thank all the veterans and serving personnel of the Australian Defence Force who are here tonight.

The Bill on setting a new minimum age of 16 for using social media is also setting a new community standard. It's all about supporting parents.

It's about making sure children have a childhood and parents have peace of mind.

And it's about this parliament working together, to lock this change in. Because we are making it clear that social media companies have a social responsibility.