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The current court system for workers and employers can be costly, complex to navigate, and slow to respond to the needs of modern workplaces. Currently, some workers and small businesses are spending more than two years fighting for a resolution that should be simple. They also shouldn't be in a situation where their case will cost more than their claim is worth.

The new federal Fair Work Court will provide a specialist forum for resolving workplace relations disputes that works seamlessly with the Fair Work Commission. Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would sit on the Court, with the aim of supporting faster, simpler and more accessible dispute resolution. A new Fair Work Court is;decades in the making, after the Howard Government abolished the last industrial relations court in 1997.

The Government will consult on the design of the proposed court this year. Consultation will help shape how the Court works, including how it will work with the existing Fair Work Commission, and how it will improve access to justice and better support workers and employers navigating disputes. Workers, employers, and legal experts will be able to provide feedback before the Government considers the court's final design and next steps.

More details will be released soon about the consultation process. Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese "Australians who have been underpaid hundreds, even thousands, of dollars shouldn't have to wait years for justice, or be told their case will cost more than their claim. "That's why Labor will fix it – with the Fair Work Court to resolve disputes faster and at lower cost, benefiting employees and employers alike." Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth "A Fair Work Court will make a significant difference to help workers receive the entitlements and pay they worked hard for.

"It is important the system works fairly and efficiently for workers and employers. "Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would ensure workplace matters are considered by people with appropriate expertise. "We want to get this right, which is why consultation will be central to shaping the design of the proposed court." Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland "The Albanese Government is committed to enabling timely and effective access to justice for more Australians.

"The new Fair Work Court will create a streamlined dispute resolution pathway, drawing on the expertise of specialist judges to make it easier and simpler for workers and businesses to navigate the legal system. "The Government looks forward to consulting with workers, business and the legal profession on the final design of the court."

The participation rate also rose to 67 per cent in June, and is close to its record high, with more Australians either working or looking for work. The unemployment rate stood at 4.4 per cent in June and remains low by historical standards, highlighting the resilience of Australia’s labour market during a period of ongoing global economic uncertainty. Quotes Attributable to Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations: "Despite ongoing global uncertainty, employment continues to grow; the unemployment rate remains low and participation is close to its record high.

“A record number of women are also in work, and female participation is close to a record high, which is good for families, communities and the economy. “We have made a lot of progress, but we know some Australians are still doing it tough. “That’s why we’ll keep working to create more jobs, lift wages and ensure people have the security they deserve at work.” Quotes attributable to Treasurer Jim Chalmers: “Helping more Australians into jobs is an important part of our economic plan and we’ve seen more jobs created in the past month and more jobs growth in Australia under this government than any major advanced economy.

“Even in the face of all this global uncertainty and volatility, unemployment remains relatively low and more jobs are being created and that reflects the resilience of Australia’s economy and the progress we’re making together. “More than 76,000 jobs were created in June, more than 1.3 million jobs have been created on our watch, participation is near a record high, and this Albanese Labor Government has overseen the lowest average unemployment of any Australian government in the last half a century.

“We recognise people are under pressure and we’ll continue to do what we can to ease that pressure with more cost-of-living relief, higher wages, more tax cuts and by helping people into jobs.”

Currently, some workers and small businesses are spending more than two years fighting for a resolution that should be simple. They also shouldn’t be in a situation where their case will cost more than their claim is worth. The new federal Fair Work Court will provide a specialist forum for resolving workplace relations disputes that works seamlessly with the Fair Work Commission.

Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would sit on the Court, with the aim of supporting faster, simpler and more accessible dispute resolution. A new Fair Work Court is decades in the making, after the Howard Government abolished the last industrial relations court in 1997. The Government will consult on the design of the proposed court this year.

Consultation will help shape how the Court works, including how it will work with the existing Fair Work Commission, and how it will improve access to justice and better support workers and employers navigating disputes. Workers, employers, and legal experts will be able to provide feedback before the Government considers the court's final design and next steps.

More details will be released soon about the consultation process. Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese: “Australians who have been underpaid hundreds, even thousands, of dollars shouldn’t have to wait years for justice, or be told their case will cost more than their claim. “That’s why Labor will fix it – with the Fair Work Court to resolve disputes faster and at lower cost, benefiting employees and employers alike.” Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth: “A Fair Work Court will make a significant difference to help workers receive the entitlements and pay they worked hard for.

“It is important the system works fairly and efficiently for workers and employers. “Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would ensure workplace matters are considered by people with appropriate expertise. “We want to get this right, which is why consultation will be central to shaping the design of the proposed court.” Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland: “The Albanese Government is committed to enabling timely and effective access to justice for more Australians.

“The new Fair Work Court will create a streamlined dispute resolution pathway, drawing on the expertise of specialist judges to make it easier and simpler for workers and businesses to navigate the legal system. “The Government looks forward to consulting with workers, business and the legal profession on the final design of the court.”

With every state and territory represented, the 2026 team includes the Australian Diamonds chasing back-to-back netball gold, world record holder Cam McEvoy aiming to add to his eight Commonwealth Games medals and a cycling team featuring six reigning world champions including two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist para-cyclist Jessica Gallagher. The 86-strong track and field team features Olympic champion and Australia’s flag-bearer Nina Kennedy, who is seeking to continue Australia’s remarkable pole vault record, with the nation winning six of the past seven gold medals, along with young gun Cameron Myers, the freshly minted 1500m national record holder.

Glasgow 2026 also features Para-athletes competing on the same stage as their able-bodied counterparts, with athletes across 6 different sports, all backed by the Albanese Government’s historic Para Uplift investment, creating generational change for athletes with a disability and pathway opportunities the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games. This support is part of the Albanese Government’s record investment of $513 million over two years for Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games athletes.

The package includes $42.8 million in direct grants from the Australian Sports Commission to help individual athletes with daily living and training expenses. Australia will be represented at the Commonwealth Games by Governor General Sam Mostyn, who is representing all Australians as Patron-in-Chief of Commonwealth Games Australia at Glasgow 2026. Quotes attributable to Minister for Sport Anika Wells: “The Commonwealth Games holds a special place in the hearts of Australian fans and athletes alike.

It creates unforgettable moments, showcases our brilliant Para athletes on, and is an opportunity for our Australia’s best to test themselves against world class international competition. “We will continue to invest in our Aussie athletes and sports so they have what they need to succeed, from upgraded training facilities to world-class coaching. “Every competitor at these games was once a young and ambitious kid starting out at the grassroots level, so this serves as a fantastic example to every kid who dreams of competing on the world stage.

“The Albanese Government is incredibly proud of all our athletes, and we are joining the nation in cheering you on.”

For some courses such as radiography, it is more than a year of the degree. For that commitment, many students have to give up paid work and many have to move away from home. Paid prac provides financial support to help students while they undertake practical training.

Paid prac already covers eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. The Albanese Labor Government is now expanding it to eligible students studying these ten courses: clinical psychology physiotherapy occupational therapy speech pathology paramedicine radiography rehabilitation therapies This is another way the Albanese Government is helping with the cost of living in addition to policies such as our 20 per cent cut to student debt, tax cuts for every taxpayer, cheaper childcare and backing wage rises.

Eligible students currently receive $338.60 per week during their clinical and professional placement periods. It is a means tested payment benchmarked to the single Austudy rate and indexed annually. Paid prac is reducing financial pressure on students and allowing them to spend less time worrying about paying the bills and more time focused on their training.

It helps students doing placements when they have to relocate, including in the bush. Travel, accommodation and relocation costs can discourage students from undertaking placements in regional and remote Australia, where health workforce shortages are often most acute. The expansion of the Commonwealth Prac Payment will help more students manage these costs, complete their qualifications and move into critical health and care jobs.

Expanding paid prac to more healthcare professions will help to continue building the health workforce Australia needs and strengthen Medicare. Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: “Paid prac is already making a real difference - it’s helping students with cost of living while they train and that’s why we’re expanding it. “This is an investment in our future healthcare workforce.

We need more of them and this will help more Australians get the qualifications our nation needs. “We’re backing Australians to get the education they need and this announcement builds on our reduction to student debt, free TAFE and tax cuts that put money back in people’s pockets.” Quotes attributable to Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler: “The Albanese Labor Government is strengthening Medicare by growing the health workforce Australians need.

“Training a domestic health workforce is crucial to ensuring every Australian can access quality health care where and when they need it. “These are people who are going to look after us when we’re sick or old, helping women during childbirth, helping Australians living with disability. “This expansion means that if you’re training to be a pharmacist, physio or psychologist, you’ll also now have a bit of extra help to get through.

“This will make a big difference for students doing placements in the bush who face extra costs when they’re training away from home.” Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: “Paid prac is working, that’s why we’re expanding it. “Paid prac helps to pay the bills, pay the rent and pay for things like petrol and parking. “Paid prac is making a difference now for students training for some of the most important jobs in our country.

“We’re expanding paid prac so more front line health workers will get that cost-of-living help while they train. “This will help more students finish their qualifications and move into the jobs the country needs.” PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community.

We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

Currently, some workers and small businesses are spending more than two years fighting for a resolution that should be simple. They also shouldn’t be in a situation where their case will cost more than their claim is worth. The new federal Fair Work Court will provide a specialist forum for resolving workplace relations disputes that works seamlessly with the Fair Work Commission.

Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would sit on the Court, with the aim of supporting faster, simpler and more accessible dispute resolution. A new Fair Work Court is decades in the making, after the Howard Government abolished the last industrial relations court in 1997. The Government will consult on the design of the proposed court this year.

Consultation will help shape how the Court works, including how it will work with the existing Fair Work Commission, and how it will improve access to justice and better support workers and employers navigating disputes. Workers, employers, and legal experts will be able to provide feedback before the Government considers the court's final design and next steps.

More details will be released soon about the consultation process. Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese: “Australians who have been underpaid hundreds, even thousands, of dollars shouldn’t have to wait years for justice, or be told their case will cost more than their claim. “That’s why Labor will fix it – with the Fair Work Court to resolve disputes faster and at lower cost, benefiting employees and employers alike.” Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth: “A Fair Work Court will make a significant difference to help workers receive the entitlements and pay they worked hard for.

“It is important the system works fairly and efficiently for workers and employers. “Specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would ensure workplace matters are considered by people with appropriate expertise. “We want to get this right, which is why consultation will be central to shaping the design of the proposed court.” Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland: “The Albanese Government is committed to enabling timely and effective access to justice for more Australians.

“The new Fair Work Court will create a streamlined dispute resolution pathway, drawing on the expertise of specialist judges to make it easier and simpler for workers and businesses to navigate the legal system. “The Government looks forward to consulting with workers, business and the legal profession on the final design of the court.” PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community.

We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

My Federal team, led by the best Deputy Prime Minister anyone could ask for, Richard Marles. And led in the Senate by two great South Australians: Penny Wong and Don Farrell. To our new President – another proud South Australian - Kate Ellis.

And our National Secretary Paul Erickson and your fantastic crew. Thank you for all the work that you have put into this year’s conference, our 50th in our 135th year - Australia’s oldest and greatest political party. And Paul, thank you for the magnificent effort you put into last year’s campaign.

Backed – every step of the way – by the mighty trade union movement of Australia. And by the passion and dedication of the true believers in our rank and file. All of us who have the honour to serve in the Parliamentary Labor Party stand on your shoulders.

We are a better government – and Australia is a better country – because of your lifetimes of service to advancing the rights and opportunities and aspirations of working people. And so much of the progress and reform we have delivered over the past four years, began with you and the Australians that you represent, grounded in their workplaces, their lives and their determination to pass on a better future to their children.

Thank you for what you do. Through 50 National Conferences over 125 years of Federation, this is only the 15th time we have gathered with Federal Labor in majority government. Now that tells you something about the history we made together last year.

And it speaks to the responsibility and the opportunity we have now. The responsibility to continue helping people under pressure. The responsibility to guide our nation through this time of significant global uncertainty.

And the opportunity to build something better beyond it. The opportunity for Australia to do more than weather this global storm of conflict and crisis, but to emerge from it a fairer and stronger and more resilient country. A country with a growing and productive economy that works for people, not the other way around.

We have the opportunity to reject - once and for all - the failed ideology which said it was smart and rational to cut TAFE, close our refineries and send manufacturing jobs offshore, because someone else, somewhere else, would sell us what we needed. And instead, make the most of our resources - and make more things here. To build up the skills and energy and self-reliance of our nation.

And to lift up the talent and hard work and aspiration of our people. So that we are not just better prepared for the next challenge the world throws at us, we are better placed to seize and shape and share the opportunities that the world holds for us. To make the transformative changes underway around the globe – from clean energy to Artificial Intelligence – work for all Australians.

That is the test of our time. And, delegates, it is a mission made for our labour movement - for our ambition and our determination. And for our eternal values of fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all.

Because Australia can only seize this moment, if every Australian can reach for it. We can only realise our true potential as a nation, when every Australian has the chance to realise theirs. I understand that for many Australians right now, looking to the future runs second to the immediate pressures they are under.

The last decade has inflicted one global shock after another. And people have been given every reason to feel like the economy is simply not working for them. That goes deeper than sentiment, it’s a reality people are up against.

It is a challenge confronting governments and democracies right around the world. That is why our focus remains squarely on helping with the cost of living, on the practical measures that matter to people and make a positive difference to their lives. Because that is how we demonstrate to Australians that their hard work will pay off, that their effort is worth it, that they can plan and build for their future.

And it is how we prove that the status quo is not set in stone. That problems can be solved. That faults in the system can be fixed.

That Labor is delivering the real change Australians deserve. We can make that case to each other. But we all know the true meaning of real change is beyond these walls and outside the political debate.

It’s every worker who sees their wages rise. Every Australian getting another tax cut. Every family that can see a doctor for free.

Every first home buyer getting a fair crack. Every opportunity being embraced at Free TAFE. Every family and small business cutting their power bills with rooftop solar and a battery.

Every steel worker at Whyalla. And it is every student, in every school in every state and every territory receiving the full and fair funding they need to thrive. Delivering real change means strengthening Medicare.

A year after I took this little card all around our country, there are another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open. And in every one of our 137 clinics, in the regions and the suburbs, this bit of green and gold plastic is all that you need. 56 Medicare Mental Health Centres have been added to the frontline. And 33 Endo and Pelvic Pain Clinics, part of the biggest-ever investment in women’s health.

And thousands of GPs, trusted by millions of Australians, have switched to bulk-billing every patient, every time. All of which means the last year has seen the biggest jump in the bulk-billing rate this century and the lowest prices for medicines on the PBS since 2004, just $25. And since the 1st of July, the landmark agreement we secured with every state and territory government is putting record funding into public hospitals.

We are investing right across our world-class health system - and we are backing the extraordinary people who work in it. Just over a year ago, we created Paid Prac. Financial support for Australians studying to be nurses and midwives, as well as teachers and social workers, paid while they undertake their training placements.

This is one of those reforms where it is hard to believe that it didn’t already exist. I’ve heard from students who had to go straight from their hospital placement to their part-time job, just to pay the rent. Others who had to move back home to get through.

Paid Prac has changed their life. And today we build on its success. Today I announce we will expand Paid Prac to physio and occupational therapy, clinical psychology, pharmacy and podiatry, speech pathology, audiology radiography, rehab therapies and our future paramedics.

Real help with the cost of living for tens of thousands of Australians. And a real investment in the health care workers of tomorrow. This is how Labor governs.

We deal with the here and now in a way that builds for the future too. We navigate the rough seas, while always keeping our eyes on the horizon. You’ve seen this same characteristic of our government, through the global fuel crisis, When the conflict in the Middle East caused the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history we acted to help Australians under pressure, working with the states and territories to cut fuel taxes.

And - importantly - working with industry and our partners in our region to secure shiploads of additional petrol, diesel, jet fuel and fertiliser. So our farmers had the security to plant their crops. So our miners and tradies could keep our economy going.

And not only did we make sure our truckies could stay on the road we changed the law to make sure they got fair pay for their work. And right through March and April, while our opponents were saying that travelling to Asia was a waste of time and petrol rationing was days away. We were building up our reserves.

Meaning there is more fuel in Australia today than when the conflict in the Middle East began. And we will have more security into the future as well. Because we are making more clean fuels here.

We are building a government-owned strategic fuel reserve. And the first ship in our strategic fleet is now on the water. For all the progress we take pride in together, we know there is more to do and further to go.

There always is. That’s what drives us - and always has. Right back to when the founders of our movement were confronted by unfairness in the workplace.

Inequality in society. And structural problems in the economy. They didn’t pretend that the answer was to tear everything down and walk away.

They understood then – as we do now – that people’s genuine frustrations deserve a practical response, not just an emotional one. Because a list of problems only counts for something if it comes with solutions. And while you can go a long way in politics, for a long time by raging against a system that you are a part of, without a plan to fix it.

Or blaming people who cannot defend themselves for a problem they did not cause. That doesn’t build anything. It doesn’t change anything.

It doesn’t take our country forward. It doesn’t help anyone find a job, pay their bills, or put a roof over their head. This has always been the fundamental contrast between Labor and all our political opponents.

And never more so than now. Because beyond One Nation’s personality clashes, policy confusion, conspiracy theories and candidate chaos and regardless of who leads the Liberals to the next election. In every way that matters, the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation are already a Coalition.

It’s not just that they need each other to form Government. They agree with each other about what they want to do in Government. They all want to cut wages.

They all want to scrap Paid Parental Leave. They all want to make it easier to sack workers. They all want to make it harder for young Australians to buy a home.

They all want to slash the jobs and industries powered by renewables - and spend billions on nuclear reactors instead. And they all want to cut Medicare. And everything else, all those attention-seeking culture wars imported from overseas, all those trips around the world to talk Australia down cannot disguise the fact that none of them have anything new or positive to offer our country.

In the Labor Party, we travel by a different road. We choose progress over protest. We choose purpose over chaos.

We choose unity over division. We choose outcomes over outrage. We choose real change that makes a real difference.

For all the passion that we bring to our debates at Conference. We know that the measure of our movement is not the words we put in to our platform it is the progress and reform and rights that flow out of it. The real change we deliver, as a result of it.

And for all of us, that always begins with a fair go at work. For a decade, 6 months of Paid Parental Leave was a goal in our platform. Today, it is the law of the land.

And, for the first time, superannuation is paid on top. In remote communities, the CDP has been abolished – and replaced with thousands of real jobs for real wages. Penalty rates and overtime pay are protected by law.

Superannuation is paid, on pay day. Wage theft is now a crime. And after decades of union campaigning workers aged 18, 19 and 20 are finally being paid like the adults that they are.

We are delivering the historic wage increases our aged care workers and early educators deserve part of the reason that the gender pay gap is at an all-time low. And today, right around our country. People in factories and warehouses, meatworks and mine sites, flight attendants and ground crew are being paid tens of thousands of dollars more, every year.

Because we changed the law. So that if you work the same rosters, wear the same uniform, perform the same tasks, with the same skills, if you do the Same Job, you get the Same Pay. Our commitment to a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage is older than Federation.

And we have always understood that while you can write fairness into law, justice depends on the law being upheld. Yet there are still too many of the most vulnerable workers in this country being illegally underpaid because they cannot access or afford the justice they are owed. Australians who have been underpaid by hundreds, even thousands, of dollars but simply do not have the time or the resources to navigate the legal system.

Or are told their case will take months even years to resolve, and cost them more than their claim is worth. That is just wrong. And we are going to fix it.

Today I announce that our Government will create the Fair Work Court. Headed by expert judges, working seamlessly with the Fair Work Commission. This will resolve disputes faster and at lower cost – for both employees and employers.

Good for workers. Good for business. Good for the country.

Our enduring commitment to the fair go is also how we meet the new challenges and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence. Right now, global investors are knocking on Australia’s door. And that gives us the chance to determine what AI looks like here.

This technology is already part of our daily lives. We can’t stop it – and we wouldn’t want to. But we can shape it – and we have to.

Our prosperity, our sovereignty and our national security depend on it. That is why our Government will legislate clear, mandatory, Australian standards for AI. Making sure data centres minimise their water use.

Put more renewable energy into our grid. And do not compete with new housing. We will provide the strongest possible protections for Australian artists, writers, musicians and journalists.

Because their creative endeavour is their property. And if a tech company takes someone’s art or music or writing or journalism without their permission that is not ‘training’ – it is theft. I know there are real concerns about how fast AI is moving and the disruption it might bring.

And we can only manage that and protect ourselves if Australia is active and confident in shaping this change. That means investing in our people and their skills and capacity. Bringing the same ambition that drives our agenda for A Future Made in Australia.

So we are more than a warehouse for ideas made overseas, or the last link in the digital supply chain. Securing long-term growth, not a short-term boom. Empowering workers, not replacing them.

Creating good jobs with fair wages, not undercutting them. We cannot leave this up to companies or individuals to figure out on their own. We all have a stake.

We are all involved. It will take all of us working together, to get this right. And that is exactly what our Labor Government will do.

In April 1904, when the new Prime Minister Chris Watson and his Labor colleagues took their spots on the government benches of the Federal Parliament for the first time, Sir John Forrest stared across at them from the other side of the chamber and said to his Tory colleagues: “What are those fellows doing in our places? Those are our seats!” They’ve never really got over it, have they?

Our opponents have never been able to accept the legitimacy of a Labor Government. They think we should know our place. They have never been able to accept that the trade union movement is central to the health and strength of our democracy.

Because they have never believed that the working people of Australia deserve a say in the shape of our economy and the future of our society. That’s why - for them - every increase in wages is always the end of the world. Any improvement in workers’ rights is a sign of the apocalypse.

They say that every cost of living measure is a waste. And they see every change to the status quo as an outrage. That is why they are so offended by our reforms to rebalance the tax system.

To better align the way the system deals with income earned from work and wages, compared to income from selling assets. Because we know that the vast majority of Australians have nothing to sell but their time, nothing to give but their hard work. That’s how they make a living - one hour of effort after another.

That’s how they provide for their family and put food on the table. They work their guts out, every single day. Cleaning offices before the sun comes up.

Stacking shelves at night. Teaching our children in schools. Looking after our parents in aged care.

They’re nurses and police officers and fireys and paramedics, keeping our communities safe. And all the hard yakka they put in, every sacrifice they make, everything they give up and go without, is so their children can have a better life with greater opportunity. These are the people our party was created to serve.

They are Australians you stand up for, every day. They deserve lower taxes. That’s why we are cutting them.

They deserve higher wages. That’s why we are backing them. And these hard-working Australians deserve the opportunity to buy their own home.

Which is why, after 25 years of Howard and Costello tax breaks for property investors pushing home ownership out of reach, we have reformed negative gearing and capital gains tax. Under Labor, for the first time in a generation, first home buyers are getting a fair crack. This was not the easy option – but it was absolutely the right thing to do.

Because when everyone knows the system is not working. When everyone can see that it is not fair or reasonable or sustainable for a generation of Australians to be locked out of the housing market. The choice for a party of Government is crystal clear.

You can make excuses for a broken status quo. You can kick the can down the road and leave the problem for someone else to solve. Or you can take responsibility, you can take action.

You can back home ownership and aspiration for all Australians - not just some. And that is exactly what we are doing. Of course, we’re doing that beyond housing.

We’re taking action in so many areas where reform has been put off for too long, or progress has been too slow. Acting on climate change and protecting our environment. Closing the gap.

Repairing the budget. Restoring our relationships in the region. Fixing employment services.

Leading new action to eliminate the scourge of family and domestic violence. And securing the future of the NDIS, so it can continue to change lives. Hard choices.

Hard work. But the right thing to do – now and for the future. That is the Labor way.

Our Australian values drive us to deliver real change – and they guide us as we deal with an uncertain world. From our first day in Government, we have been investing in our capabilities and our relationships. We are building our sovereignty in defence - with record investment in tens of thousands of defence manufacturing jobs, including right here in South Australia.

We are building the social cohesion and national unity that is essential to our national security. And we are building new and deeper partnerships beyond our borders. A landmark security treaty with Indonesia.

New security agreements with the EU, Canada and India. And a proud update we can make to this year’s platform. Through 125 years of Federation, Australia has had two allies: the United States of America and New Zealand.

In the last year, we have doubled that number. Under Labor, Australia has re-engaged as a partner and leader in the Pacific. And because we are working with our Pacific family to meet the challenge of climate change and seize the opportunities of clean energy.

Because in a time of strategic competition in our region, Australia is both an advocate for peace and a security partner of choice. Two of our nearest neighbours - Papua New Guinea and Fiji - are now our newest allies. Delegates, I conclude with this.

Lifetimes of change separate this 50th National Conference from our first. Yet like the new nation it served, even the very first Labor Government was not a “monoculture”. There were Protestants and Catholics, English, Irish and Scots.

One was an American pretending to be Canadian and no-one was sure if the Leader was born in New Zealand or Chile. For all of that, those men could never have contemplated a Labor Government Caucus room with a majority of women. Or a roll call of: Abdo, Albanese, Aly, Ambihaipahar, Ananda-Rajah and Ayres.

And that’s just the letter A. They might have been more comfortable with a union leadership team of O’Neil and McManus, but Michele and Sally would have come as a shock. 125 years on, our party and our movement are more open, more democratic, more diverse and more equal. Just like Australia.

We are more at home in our region – and more confident in the world. Just like Australia. We embrace the fullness and richness of our own history, the privilege we have to share this ancient continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth.

Just like Australia. We have been enriched by people of every faith and background and tradition. Just like Australia.

We have gained and grown from their ideas and their energy, and every bit as importantly from their loyalty to our shared values and their pride in our common cause. Just like Australia. And we are stronger and smarter, we are braver and better because of all of that.

Just like Australia. Labor has changed because Australia has changed. And because our movement has had the kindness and courage to drive that change and shape it, in the interests of all.

To make progress real for people. To make reform work for people. That is the mission that every Labor generation has made our own.

It is the task we carry forward now. The work all of us must take from this Conference to the country we love. Bringing aspiration in reach of all Australians.

Creating opportunity for all Australians. Delivering real change for all Australians. Thank you delegates.

PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

I get involved in the policies in my own area. I think every Cabinet minister’s involved in some of those sorts of discussions. But I think what the National Conference reflects is that Labor’s a grassroots party, it’s a key reason why we were formed, it’s why we’ve endured, and you can see that reflected on the conference floor.

And today’s a big today, because today’s all about delivering real change in an economy that works for everyone, and in the face of accelerating change and intensifying global and generational pressures with a big focus on the cost of living. And that’s why the Prime Minister’s announcement today is really important, because it is about the cost of living, and in his speech, he’ll be announcing that we are extending the Paid Prac program.

You’d remember that this is how we help, whether it’s nursing, midwifery, teaching students with the cost of living while they do these prac placements. It’s been a really important and successful policy, and today we’re extending it to more students in the health sector in particular; physio, psychology, pharmacy and a whole range of other parts of the health sector as well.

This is how we help with the cost of living, we help train more health workers and we also strengthen Medicare at the same time by helping people who would otherwise have to give up shifts in order to do these prac placements. Treasurer, in your view, what is the greatest single challenge the Labor Party is facing right now? Well, we’ve got a series of serious challenges in our economy.

I think every developed economy around the world is dealing with these intensifying global pressures against the backdrop of some very substantial generational challenges too – the AI revolution, the energy transformation, the changes to our industrial base, the ageing of our population, the fragmenting of geopolitics, all of this presents parties of the sensible centre and the centre left, parties like the Australian Labor Party, with a series of very serious economic challenges, and in our political system in Australia really it’s only Labor which is working through and addressing these challenges in a methodical and a measured and in a mainstream way.

From an electoral perspective, how significant a challenge is One Nation electorally now for the Labor Party? We don’t lightly dismiss the challenge posed by, whether it’s the Liberals and Nationals or One Nation. In our political system we don’t take the outcome of future elections for granted.

It is the case that we’ve got a strong majority in the House of Representatives, but politics is volatile, and at a time when we do have these intensifying pressures, at a time when there is accelerating change in our community, in our economy and in and around the world, we understand that that creates some legitimate anxiety about what the future holds for people, and sometimes that encourages people to consider political alternatives, and so we don’t lightly dismiss any of that.

More than acknowledge that, we’re acting on those very real pressures, those very real anxieties that people feel, including in some of the areas we’ve already talked about, like AI, like the energy transformation and some of these other economic challenges. The ALP draft platform includes the quote, ‘Labor will ensure that Australian people receive a fairer return from their natural resources, including through appropriate taxation arrangements’.

Do you accept that the word ‘fairer’ is a call for the government to revisit the way it taxes gas? Well, a couple of things about that. First of all, not just in the Labor Party but in the Australian community more broadly, people do have strong views, and varied views about this issue.

I understand that, I acknowledge that. When it comes to the appropriate taxation arrangements, this is really behind the important changes I made to the PRRT a couple of years ago to make sure that we are getting a fairer return sooner from the offshore gas industry that helps fund Medicare and tax cuts and all of the rest of it. And so from my point of view, I’ve put a lot of time and effort into making sure that we are getting a fairer return.

Now, the other important part of that motion that you’re referring to talks about making sure that we balance that with our other responsibilities as a reliable international supplier, and that’s part of the government’s focus as well. So I do expect this issue to come up through the course of today, it has come up before, it comes up broadly in the Australian community, but it’s important to remember that the government has taken important steps to make the taxation of natural resources fairer, and we are focused on a number of things, including our international responsibilities, but as well as that the Gas Reservation Policy which means reserving more of our gas for domestic use.

Some of the news of the day today, The Australian has reported this morning that the federal government knew that Australian‑born Dr Tareq Kamleh, who became an Islamic State fighter and was presumed dead, was still alive and in an Iraqi jail, and he may now seek to return home. Is that report accurate? I’m not aware of every detail of that report, obviously, I’ve had it referred to me.

The government hasn’t and won’t be providing any assistance to any Australian who made the choice to join a terrorist organisation. We’ve been really clear that for some individuals in this cohort, returning to Australia would mean facing the full force of the law. Did the government know that he was alive and in prison in Iraq?

Well, to be upfront with you, Sally, the only details I have are the details in the story, I haven’t been involved in any of these sorts of considerations as Treasurer. In a separate issue, the government has refused a visa to an ex‑ASIO source who’s trying to give evidence to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. If the Royal Commission wants to hear from this witness, why is the government standing in the way?

I wouldn’t describe it exactly like that, Sally. It’s up to the Royal Commission to determine who they speak to, it’s up to them to work out the best way to speak with them if they need to. But for all of the usual reasons, I obviously wouldn’t go into the specifics of any one visa application as Treasurer.

On separate issues, Treasurer, the conference that’s happening today, previously the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, more than a decade ago himself made a passionate dissenting speech on the issue of boat turn‑backs. Do you think that open disagreement is healthy for the party, or is it better to present a united front? I don’t necessarily think it’s an either/or.

What we do in the Labor Party and we have done for more than a century now is respect and recognise the key role of the grassroots of our movement and that has involved over a really long period of time now, older than federation, the Australian Labor Party has taken its role as the grassroots party very seriously, and that means from time to time people bring to conferences like this one a range of different views.

I think that’s a good thing. At the end of the day, as important as the platform is, the policies of the government are determined by the Cabinet, but the grassroots process that feeds into our platform development is very important to us, it has been for a very long time, and I hope it continues to be for a long time as well. Treasurer, thank you for joining me this morning.

Thanks so much, Sally. That’s the federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, there.