The Leaders of Australia, the United States, India and Japan have together launched the Quad Cancer Moonshot initiative, with the aim of saving lives and preventing cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, yet women in the Pacific die of the disease at up to 13 times the rate of women in Australia.

The ground-breaking human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer was invented and developed at the University of Queensland by Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer.

Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Quad Leaders, President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr., Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan for the 2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware, United States.

The meeting underscored Australia’s deep commitment to the future prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific. Through the Quad, Australia is working with three of our most important partners to shape the kind of region in which we want to live—an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Good afternoon everyone.

I’m delighted to be here among friends, and to continue our important work as Quad partners.

Thank you, President Biden, for hosting and welcoming us - it’s an honour to be here with you in your beautiful home state of Delaware.

I’m also so pleased to see you, Prime Minister Modi, and you, Prime Minister Kishida.

Coming together today demonstrates that the Quad is building its momentum.

For Australia, the Quad is a key instrument to promote stability in our region. 

A stronger Quad means a stronger Australia.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It was my great honour to be invited to have a meeting with President Biden at his Home in Wilmington. It was wonderful to be invited into his home for a one on one firstly and a bit of a look around his home, and a one-on-one chat, and then a 90-minute meeting between myself and our Delegation and President Biden, Secretary Blinken and the National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, as well as the Ambassador to Australia, Kennedy. It was a very warm and engaging discussion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with the President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr. ahead of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.

Leaders discussed the strength of the Australia-United States alliance and depth of cooperation across defence and security, economic ties and climate and clean energy.

Today’s meeting builds on the progress Australia and the United States have made over the past two years in turning our decades-long alliance to face the future.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It's great to have arrived in Philadelphia in advance of tomorrow's meeting I have with President Biden and then the Quad Leaders Meeting on Saturday. The Quad is an important body. It's one that's committed to peace and stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. Four great democracies driven by our common objectives that we have. So it will be an opportunity to talk directly to the leaders of the United States in President Biden, my friend Prime Minister Modi from India, and my friend Prime Minister Kishida of Japan.

MATT SMITH, LABOR FEDERAL CANDIDATE FOR LEICHHARDT: My name is Matt Smith. I'm the ALPs federal candidate for the seat of Leichhardt. Really excited to be here today with the Prime Minister, the Premier and the Ministers for this really exciting announcement about 490 homes being built right here in Cairns on this, the old drive in site, which has really laid dormant for the better part of almost three decades. There'll be a bit more details coming along, but one thing I want to touch on is these aren't just houses that we're building here, these are homes.

Work is planned to start next week on Queensland’s biggest ever social and affordable housing project, jointly funded by the Albanese and Miles Labor Governments.

The big housing build will deliver 490 homes in Woree and will be the biggest social and affordable housing project to be built in Queensland.

It’s aimed at older Queenslanders who are looking to downsize from their current home, and will in turn free up larger homes for families.

The complex will include 245 social, 223 affordable and 22 specialist disability apartments.

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: It's been a shaky week for the Federal Government losing control of its housing agenda as the Help to Buy bill was stonewalled in the Senate, with the Prime Minister not ruling out a double dissolution election. The Government's industrial relations reforms also copped criticism, this time at the Business Council of Australia's annual dinner, which was attended by the Prime Minister.

MURRAY JONES, HOST: Well, housing security is just so important and there's certainly been a lot of talk, obviously, about youth crime in the state election, which is about to occur. And of course, those formative years, if you're in a household where you might be subjected to physical, emotional, sexual abuse, drug abuse, the whole lot, can set you on the wrong path.