ELLIE WHITEAKER, SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Good morning. It's lovely to be here in the beautiful South Perth foreshore on this Saturday morning. I'm Ellie Whiteaker, I'm a Senator for Western Australia. Great to be here this morning with the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, and the member for Perth. And the Mayor of the City of South Perth, Greg Milner. We are here today to talk about Australia Day, as we head towards the 26th of January. Australia Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate all of the things that are great about our country. Resilience and mateship and community. And I think these are particularly important after a really tough few weeks for our country. It is also a time for us to remember that we live on the land of the oldest continuing culture in the world, and recognise the pain and suffering that that has been inflicted on First Nations people for too long. I'm really looking forward to Australia Day as an opportunity to come together with friends and family and neighbours. It is one of the things that I think lots of Australians love about the day. And I'm going to be spending the day in Bunbury at the City of Bunbury's citizenship ceremony, and enjoying some of the many festivities that they have at the Bunbury Foreshore. And that's just one of many community events that the Albanese Government is supporting this Australia Day. And I'm going to hand over to Patrick Gorman to talk more about those events. Thank you.
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Thank you so much, Ellie, and it is always a delight to spend some time with you and to start the new year talking about one of the things this Albanese Government is delivering, which is significant support for Australia Day. And I also want to thank the mayor for being here, and for the work that the City of South Perth does, like councils around Australia who, on the 26th of January, find ways to bring community together, to welcome people together, and to celebrate the absolute best nation. As we start 2026, that's exactly what this nation needs, is an opportunity to celebrate the best of the Australian character. And one of the things the Albanese Government has done, year on year, is provide support to community organisations and local governments so that Australians can come together on our national day and celebrate their fellow Australians and the Australian spirit.
And what we are announcing today is $10 million for Australia Day events across this country. That is 862 events sponsored by the Albanese Government through the National Australia Day Council. This is a 19 per cent increase on the number of events that were held last year. I think that shows that wherever you are, there is an opportunity to celebrate this great nation we all call home.
If you are in Weymouth, Tasmania, you can go to a sandcastle building competition. If you are in Melville, you can go and be part of the kids and dads cricket competition. Or if you are here in South Perth, you can get an excellent view of the fireworks, just as you can over at Langley Park in the City of Perth. Or you can come to celebrate our newest citizens.
And one of the things I love about our national day is that you see welcomes from the oldest continuous culture anywhere on Earth to our newest citizens. All part of our democratic project, where we reflect on our shared history, but also on our but also on our shared future that unites us all. And it is a chance for us to celebrate the absolute best of Australians. We do that through, here in Western Australia, the Auspire Citizen of the Year Awards. We do it in Canberra through the Australian of the Year Awards, celebrating the absolute best of Australians. And we do it in our everyday actions, where I encourage people, as we lead into Australia Day, to think about, how can you celebrate the best of Australia?
I encourage every Australian to plan their Australia Day. Get your plan together. Think about how you're going to be proud of this great country. Go to australia day.org.au, and find the event near you. There are 862 events that you can go to across this great nation, and quite a few fireworks in the evening everywhere from Sydney to Perth, and a few places in between as well.
And I will just conclude, before I hand over to the Mayor.
When we talk about the best of Australians, often we think of our emergency services personnel. And on a day like today across this nation, we are seeing the absolute best of Australians. People who are standing up to check the lives and livelihoods of their fellow citizens. And whether it be in Victoria, New South Wales, or some of the threats that are coming in Queensland, or anywhere else across this vast nation we all call home, I want to thank all of those in emergency services and support personnel who are out there protecting the lives and livelihoods of their fellow Australians. That definitely makes me proud to be an Australian today, and every day.
GREG MILNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SOUTH PERTH: Good morning, everyone. My name is Greg Milner. It is my honour and privilege to serve our wonderful community. I'm going to talk a little bit about what we're going to be doing here on the south Perth foreshore on January 26. And every year, the City of South Perth is really proud to put on our morning Australia Day ceremony. We begin with a flag raising ceremony, we segue into a citizenship ceremony, where we're going to be welcoming 107 new Australians who have come from other countries all over the world. We get to honour those members of our community who go above and beyond , making our home such a wonderful place for people to live, work and play. We honour those through the Auspire Australia Day Awards and we conclude with a community barbecue breakfast. We get assistance from our local Rotary Clubs for that. We are very grateful to the federal government for a $15,000 grant to help with the day. And it's a wonderful celebration, celebration, contemplation, reflection on just what it means to be Australian and how lucky we are to live in this wonderful country. Thank you very much.
JOURNALIST: Patrick, can I just ask you a question? Just on, obviously, Australia Day we're celebrating on Jan 26, there's been a lot of debate about that, but one of the things that the Prime Minister's done is he's given some leeway for when councils can actually have citizenship ceremonies. Fremantle, obviously will do what they usually do, which is don't do them on the day, and others do. Do you think perhaps there should be a decision on whether or citizenship ceremonies happen on January 26, or are you happy for local governments to have that decision?
GORMAN: We respect the democratic rights of local governments to make decisions about what's best for their local community. Their local community. We recognise when it comes to Australia Day, it is a public holiday, and getting staff and organising large events can be difficult for some local governments, and that's the reason that that flexibility exists. But I also want to point out there's significant support. We provide as we are here, $15,000 to assist the City of South Perth, like many councils around Australia, to hold their citizenship ceremonies. And not just for the new citizens, it's great to welcome them in, but to hold events that welcome in all Australians, to celebrate this great country. However, we found ourselves to be here First Nations, people who've been here for multiple generations, or people who have become citizens on Australia Day. And I do note I often meet citizens around the place where I've been at their Australia Day citizenship ceremonies, and it's a great source of pride for them. But we'll continue policy settings that we've had for a period of time. And I will just note that when it comes to the number of Australia Day events sponsored by the Commonwealth Government, we have seen a record number, 862 events sponsored by the Commonwealth Government for 2026. That is a record, not just of the Albanese Government, but of any government.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned First Nations. Many of our First Nations people [inaudible] don't think that that's the day, Australia Day or the day to celebrate Australia shouldn't be January 26. What's your view on that?
GORMAN: When it comes to First Nations leaders and First Nations people, of course, I recognise that many will speak for themselves, and I don't want to stand here and speak for others. What we seek to do is to have respectful and inclusive Australia Day events. The event that I'll attend in Canberra with the Governor-General and the Prime Minister starts with a smoking ceremony and a special welcome to country. You see that at a number of events. You see here in South Perth, where there's a welcome to country. I think that's a sign that most people want to use this day, our national day, as a chance to bring Australians together. And right now, that's what I'm focused on, is using Australia Day that as an inclusive, welcoming day that brings people together and celebrates the absolute best of Australia.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned staffing, is that really the main reason local councils are choosing to not to have citizenship ceremonies on Jan 26?
GORMAN: If you think about this year, for example, you've obviously got challenges where falls on a Monday, it's the end of a long weekend. It can be a challenge for local governments. That is something they have told us. You can go and talk to each individual local government about the reasons, and they all have their own reasons for their decisions. But I'll note, there's a national citizenship ceremony that is held in Canberra. That is the decision we have taken. There are massive local - some of the largest - citizenship ceremonies anywhere in the country, on Australia Day happen here in Wanneroo. And I know that thousands and thousands of Australians have become citizens on that day, officiated by mine and Ellie's good colleague, Tracey Roberts, when she was the Mayor of Wanneroo. It is a pretty spectacular event up there. There are a lot of different events that happen on Australia Day. And again, Australia Day is partly about citizenship, but it is more about national pride, and that is something that wherever you go, you can see chances for Australians to show, in their own way, their pride in this country.
JOURNALIST: Invasion Day rallies have been growing in numbers over the past few years. Do you think there's more the government could do to kind of support their cause and message as well, rather than putting record funding into Australia Day celebrations that a lot of people are growing or starting to disagree with?
GORMAN: What we have seen, and I think the numbers speak for themselves, a 19 per cent increase in the number of Australia Day events. We see First Nations leaders playing key roles at those events, and that's what I see. I recognise that people will have a range of different views, and I note that in this great democracy that we call Australia, that is people's right to have different views, and I respect that.
JOURNALIST: Do you worry that less people will attend these events, even despite more funding? Do you worry less people are attending these events because of the messaging around the 26th of Jan?
GORMAN: That is not what we're seeing. What we're seeing is more and more local governments and community organisations keen to hold events. And people can enjoy Australia Day, our national day, where we have a chance to pause and reflect on our pride in this nation which we call home. They can do it their own way. That might be a barbecue at home. It might be just going to the beach with family. It might be getting up very early, getting the best spot on Langley Park foreshore so you can see the fireworks. It might be joining Senator Whiteaker down in Bunbury for a citizenship ceremony. There is a whole range of things that people can do, and what is important for me is that we give people the opportunity to make it their day, to reflect and celebrate in their own way. But I do think, in 2026 Australians are looking for an opportunity to celebrate the absolute best of Australia. To celebrate the good that we see in our communities every day, and Australia Day gives us that opportunity, and I think it is [inaudible] needed.
JOURNALIST: Do you support changing the date, moving into the future?
GORMAN: That is not the Australian Government's policy. We have been very clear that we believe Australia Day should be held on 26th of January. That is what we have done. That is what we have done throughout our time in government. That is what we'll continue to do.
JOURNALIST: Patrick, can I, if it's okay, can I ask you about the Royal Commission? Obviously significant week. the Prime Minister on Thursday announced a Royal Commission. Just on that, you have said you had the third largest Jewish community in Australia, but you didn't support a Royal Commission in the weeks leading up to Thursday's announcement. How do you think - what bearing might have for you with the Jewish community?
GORMAN: This is not about me. This is about making sure [inaudble] we can get to the heart of the challenges of antisemitism that we've seen tragically in Australia in the last month and in the years and years before that as well, unfortunately. It is about making sure that we get answers for families, about making sure that we have the national security and other policy settings to ensure a safe Australia and a socially cohesive Australia.
JOURNALIST: Why didn't you support it?
GORMAN: And the work the Government has been doing over a period of time, as the Prime Minister outlined on Thursday, has been about making sure that we listen and that we get the Royal Commission settings absolutely right. And of course, I welcome, as do many others, I welcome the Royal Commission that has been announced because gives us the [inaudible] to make sure that those calls for a Royal Commission, which I always said were coming from a good place -
JOURNALIST: You still didn't answer my question -
GORMAN: I did.
JOURNALIST: Why did you not support a Royal Commission?
GORMAN: I support a Royal Commission -
JOURNALIST: - But you didn't, you didn't pressure it. In none of the meetings that you did -
GORMAN: If you go and look at what I had to say, I said very clearly that I recognise the people who are calling for Royal Commission coming from a place of genuinely wanting to have answers to the important questions that were ahead of us. I referred to the Richardson Review, which is now going to become part of the Royal Commission. And I also recognise that when you announce something as significant as a Royal Commission, you want to have all of the details ready to go. And that is exactly what we did. We had the terms of reference, we had the Royal Commission ready to go. And within 24 hours of announcing the Royal Commission, the Royal Commission that took place less than a month after horrific antisemitic terrorist attacks that happened at Bondi Beach, over the 24 hours of its announcement, we had the Governor-General sign off, put that Royal Commission into place. And I am really pleased that we found a way to get that Royal Commission happening in a way that will report within a year of those horrific attacks.
JOURNALIST: But to be clear, why did you not call for a Royal Commission [inaudible]?
GORMAN: My job is to work through within the government and to make sure that we do things in an orderly way. That is what I believe. That is what I have done. And I welcome, on behalf of the community I represent, I welcome the decision the Albanese Government has made. I'm pleased that we've done it in a way that ensures that we have a Royal Commission that works with pace, a Royal Commission that makes sure that we get answers, not just for families, but for the community, a Royal Commission that gives us urgent answers about the settings of our national security agencies, which the Richardson Review will give us by the 30th of April; an incredibly fast turnaround, which is essential given the circumstances which we face.
And as I have said many times in a range of engagements, it was important that we did the urgent national security work. We did the urgent work on combating anti semitism through the response to Jillian Segal's excellent work, and that we did the urgent work that was needed to make sure that we kept Australians safe. I make no apology for doing that work, and within a month of this horrific antisemitic terrorist attack that did strike fear - not just into people of the Jewish faith, not just to people in New South Wales - that struck fear in Australians across this country. And we saw then on the 24th of December, the work that was done by WA Police to arrest a man where there's a number of very shocking allegations against him. Again, urgent work that needs to be done. But now it is the right time to announce that Royal Commission. The Prime Minister did that on Thursday. I welcomed that announcement. I have had very encouraging messages from members of the community, which I am proud to represent, and it's now for all of us in the media, in public life, in business and communities across Australia to make this royal commission a success. That is what I'm determined to do.
JOURNALIST: We understand there was an internal letter penned to the PM calling for a Royal Commission by Labor figures. Did you sign that letter?
GORMAN: I did not sign that letter. No. But I don't comment on private conversations.
JOURNALIST: The Greens and Muslim MPs say that the Royal Commission should look at Islamophobia as well. What's your stance on that?
GORMAN: We have given the Royal Commissioner broad powers to look into social cohesion, and the Royal Commissioner can make those decisions.
JOURNALIST: Has the issue, I guess, or the decision to hold a Royal Commission without consulting other members of the caucus caused a divide in the party room?
GORMAN: There was broad consultation. There are a range of views put in a range of different ways. We have continued to consult throughout the last few weeks, as the Prime Minister himself has outlined. That he has been listening to members of not just the caucus, but to other parties as well, he's been very open about that. Listening, importantly, to leaders in the Jewish community, listening to business leaders, listening to our national security agencies. That is what you would expect in setting up something as significant as a Royal Commission. And doing it in a way to make sure we preserve social cohesion. And we have found the way to do that. That was the right path to take. I recognise that, of course, there are many things where we always wish that you could have things move faster than maybe sometimes you see from the outside.
But I can assure everyone that we have been working incredibly hard over the last four weeks, since this horrific terrorist attack, to make sure that we can do all of the things necessary to get the response right. To keep Australians safe for the future. To make sure that Jewish Australians can, as they should, feel absolutely safe here in Australia. That we can stamp out antisemitism, do more work on social cohesion, and make sure that Australia - as I seek to celebrate, on Australia Day and every day - is the safe, cohesive and welcoming country that we all aspire to be.
JOURNALIST: What is the feeling in the party room, then? Is there any divide? Is there any tension following the announcement?
GORMAN: I will not speak for other members of parliament. And I do not speak about what happens in our party room, you understand that. But what I would say is, there's an absolute determination in the Albanese Government to make sure that this Royal Commission is a success. To make sure it gives us the answers that Australians desperately want, to make sure that we build a society that is safe for Jewish Australians and all Australians. And that we get some of those urgent answers when it comes to the Richardson Review, which will come through as part of the Commissioner's work by the 30th of April.
JOURNALIST: Ahead of such large gatherings on Australia Day, there may be a sense of kind of concern about that. What's your message to people?
GORMAN: My message to people is that, of course, everyone has a responsibility when it comes to community safety. That is everything from making sure that if you see something that's not right at an event that you're at, that you tell someone. Through to making sure that if you are in charge of an event, you take appropriate precautions. What we have done through the National Australia Day Council is remind everyone who's a recipient of this grant funding that we're providing, that $10 million, they can use that money for their security needs.
Further, we have given additional security advice and reminders to hosts of events that of the steps that they need to take to make sure that, both, their events are safe, but that also people feel welcomed and safe at those events. Because these are events for everyone. There is no one, no Australian, who is excluded from coming along to an Australia Day event. It is a welcoming day where every type of divide should be left at the door. Partisan and political divides should be left at the door. It is a day where people can come together and celebrate the best of Australia.
JOURNALIST: Quite a story in the West, where, prior to the announcement on Thursday, it was suggested that some from the Jewish community that the Prime Minister wouldn't be welcome here in Perth and WA. Do you think he'll be welcome when he comes next time [inaudible] Jewish community, I'll assume?
GORMAN: I have held a number of conversations with members of the Jewish community. The focus of those has been about what action needs to be taken. I have got great respect for the leaders of the Jewish community here in Western Australia. It is not my place to talk about who is or isn't [inaudible] place of faith, I recognise that. But I will continue to engage with my local community.
JOURNALIST: So you think the Prime Minister will be welcomed when he comes? By the Jewish community?
GORMAN: It is not for me to issue invitations to various events. I will note that I have attended the synagogues with Prime Minister here in the Perth electorate. I will note that I have attended the JHub. Which I was strong champion of the rebuild of the JHub. I attended that with the Prime Minister on the 27th of January last year for Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is a very moving event. I want to thank the organisers of that event. When it comes to what I think we all want, it is a place where everyone of faith can live in safety, express their faith freely, and that is the work the Prime Minister and I am focused on.
JOURNALIST: There will be a number of marches and rallies on January, 26 we've talked about invasion Day, March for Australia are also planning rallies across the country. You have talked about safety, cohesion, sending messages of unity. Do you have, I guess, a message for organisers of these protests about how they run and and who they allow?
GORMAN: I do not believe that the 26th of January 2026 is an appropriate day for people to be organising divisive marches and rallies of any persuasion. Australia Day is a day for Australians to come together, not to protest against one another. Simple as that.
JOURNALIST: WA is one of the fastest growing populations in the nation. It is expected to continue growing over the next 40 years. Do you think that the infrastructure we have here is able to support that growth? And do you think housing? We have already seen such a huge crisis in this state.
GORMAN: Firstly, it is no surprise to me, that people want to make Western Australia home. It is no surprise to me that was have got one of the [inaudible due to wind noise]
The winds of change are blowing and people are happy to come West! This is a great part of the world, and we have an excellent economy. We have [inaudible] infrastructure. The Albanese Government is investing in everything from the massive Metronet build, to the ferries that will soon connect us from here to Perth, to over in UWA and Applecross. We are proud to partner on a range of to the various infrastructure projects and a range of important projects, such as the investment in Henderson and Garden Island, making sure that we expand our defense capabilities over time.
We will continue to invest in WA, because people continue to choose WA. It is an obvious decision that everyone standing around here has made. We have chosen to be here. It is a great place to be, it is an excellent place to live, work, raise a family. And for housing, we have got significant housing investment, and we have got significant support, especially for first home buyers. I represent that beautiful part of the world, which is Perth, that great capital city. Ellie represents the entire state of Western Australia, so she might want to add a few words about why people are choosing to move West.
WHITEAKER: Thanks, Patrick. It really is no surprise to me, either. I was born in the Perth Hills. I grew up in in Kalgoorlie, and now I live in the beautiful City of Cockburn, in fact, just down the road from some of the biggest investment in our state's history, in Henderson. There is so much opportunity here in WA, we are the heart of the jobs of the future. Whether it is in the energy transition or our defense industries. And so it's a great place to live.
I certainly welcome more Western Australians. And there's no doubt that there will be more work for us to do, in partnership with the state government, and, of course, with local governments too, to make sure that we're able to deliver the infrastructure that they need. They are investments that we've made, whether it's in housing or roads, schools and hospitals. And that work will inevitably continue in the years to come, as our great state continues to grow.
JOURNALIST: Does it need to get a wriggle on?
WHITEAKER: We are absolutely getting a wriggle on on that work. I am really proud of the work that we are doing in that space.
JOURNALIST: I'll just get the Minister if I can? The Prime Minister has expressed disgust at the rise of AI on social media platforms like X to produce explicit images. What's the government doing combat that?
GORMAN: To combat the inappropriate use of any social media platform, the government has given extensive powers to the independent eSafety Commissioner to regulate those online platforms. It is really important that we have a strong cop on the beat in the eSafety Commissioner, who can use those powers to regulate these online platforms. And some of the things that we have seen where it comes to deep fakes, sexually explicit content, sometimes involving people, children, is absolutely disgusting. It is grotesque. And of course, we will use the full powers of the eSafety Commissioner to make sure that the regulations can be applied where necessary.
But I would also note that these are not just Australian problems. These are global challenges. And so I would call on those who run these platforms, large tech companies, some of the richest people on Earth, including Elon Musk. I would call on them to have a good hard look at themselves, because let's be clear; we are talking about the exploitation of children. We are talking about sexually inappropriate content of people who have not consented. We have done a lot of work in this country about making sure that we do everything we can to keep Australians safe, but when we have got people coming in through fibre optic cables from overseas to harm Australians, it is of deep concern. I would think that Elon Musk needs to have a good hard look at himself and think, is he using AI for good, or is he using it for evil? Because what I'm seeing is grotesque evil.
JOURNALIST: Would you consider raising the age to 18 instead of 16?
GORMAN: Firstly, I am really proud of the social media delay that we put in place on 10 December last year. It has been going for a month, and it has been a success. I have heard that from parents. I have heard it from friends. I have even heard it from teenagers who have gone off those platforms. Some of whom I did a roundtable at Mount Lawley High School at the end of last year with, where even they acknowledged that while they might not have liked it, they knew it was the right thing for their younger brothers or sisters, and it is the right thing for Australian kids. It is world leading, and we are encouraged by some of the attention that has been given from other countries, including regional blocs like the EU about how this might help in the future. Because the online world is a dangerous place, and we will do anything we can keep children safe, and we continue to monitor both all the online platforms as to how they comply. The laws of the Australian Parliament has passed, and I expect them all to comply with those laws, but also continue to monitor how we make sure it is successful, and continue subjective of keeping Australia safe so we can get out, play cricket, read a book, enjoy life.
JOURNALIST: Would you consider banning X outright for the Australian people if it can't regulate [inaudible]?
GORMAN: I have got great faith that the regulations we have put in place through the eSafety Commissioner is the right path to make sure we regulate all online platforms that need to be regulated. The best way to do it. But I also recognise the responsibility also sits on the owners of those platforms.
JOURNALIST: Can I just get a comment about what is happening in Mullewa?
GORMAN: Obviously, this is deeply concerning from the community there, but what we are seeing is an extensive effort from WA Police. If I can thank WA Police for the work that they are doing to keep Australians safe. Gun violence is always shocking. We are seeing far too much of it, and I hope the police can find this individual and bring him to justice. And again, I just thank the WA Police for the work they are doing. Thank you.