Reflecting on the legacy of the late Bob Hawke, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to bring Australians together as he outlines his plans for the new year.
Mr Albanese spoke on his vision for a better future, including enshrining a voice to parliament in the constitution and reviving the arts, entertainment and cultural sectors.
“An agenda that deals with immediate and urgent issues but always giving consideration to both anticipating and shaping a better future,” he told the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland on Wednesday.
The six-day celebration of music and culture is being held for the first time in almost three years.
The prime minister gave a memorial lecture on former prime minister Bob Hawke, one of the festival’s greatest fans.
“Bob Hawke left a great legacy and that’s because he understood that for any legacy to have staying power requires a government that lasts the distance,” he said.
Mr Albanese said Mr Hawke’s ambition was able to rally a nation and encouraged people to move forward together.
“The words that characterised his leadership — reconciliation, accord, consensus — were all about us heading in the same direction as a nation,” he said.
“No one’s time in government is infinite. The clock is always ticking.
“I firmly believe that a good way to make the best possible use of that time is to carry Bob’s example in your heart.”
The late-Mr Hawke’s second wife Blanche d’Alpuget was in the crowd for the address, as was Arts Minister Tony Burke and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney.
Mr Albanese cited his party’s achievements in establishing a stronger climate target, paid domestic violence leave, a national anti-corruption commission and improved gender equality.
He referenced the steps taken to restore Australia’s international relationships, particularly with the Pacific region and China.
“We have repaired our international relations and got Australia out of the naughty corner,” he said.
“Australia and China are talking again. We are a mature nation. We’re not afraid to act like one.”
But he said it was only the beginning for his government, seizing on the momentum of his first seven months in office.
“We’re just going to keep building on it. We will aim to keep delivering on the commitments that we made to the Australian people,” Mr Albanese said.
Boosting local manufacturing, including the critical mineral sector, through a national reconstruction fund, protecting the environment and holding the referendum for Indigenous constitutional recognition in 2023 were all flagged.
Shutting down protesters after allowing them time to chant, Mr Albanese said he would govern for all Australians.
“In a democracy, we actually listen to the majority,” he said.
“We will listen. We will consult. We will keep our doors open, along with our ears and our minds.”
He pledged to make Australia a renewable energy superpower.
“As a nation, we are blessed with so much sunshine and wind that it would be an act of perversity to not harness them.
“They are there for the taking. With them, we can drive down emissions.”
Voters appear to have given the government’s momentum a tick of approval.
A new poll commissioned by the Sydney Morning Herald shows Labor’s primary vote has lifted to 40 per cent across the nation since May.
The government also had a clear lead against the coalition in the five biggest states, the Resolve poll suggests.
In Queensland, a key battleground state, Labor’s primary vote had jumped from 27 per cent to 37 per cent.
© AAP 2022
