Modern Australia is a nation built through citizenship- reflecting the contributions and experiences of more than 6 million people from all around the world who chose to commit to us.
Today, we recognise the significance of this collective achievement.
We pay tribute to the vision of Chifley and Calwell, and to all those who have added their story to our evolving Australian story.
Our government rejects the notion of a nation divided between haves and have-nots when it comes to citizenship.
We aren’t, and we won’t be, a guest worker society.
That’s why we’ve ended the limbo of temporary protection visas, provided a pathway to citizenship to many thousands of New Zealanders previously denied this, and ensured people on temporary skilled visas have a pathway to residency.
Why we’ve worked to bring down the backlog in citizenship applications – because we recognise how much this means to people.
And why we work each and every day to bring people together as one, which is what Australian citizenship is really all about.
A community of equals, in which everyone belongs.
Around the world, we see division, and its consequences. People turning on their neighbours.
We can be an example to places riven by conflict, through demonstrating what 75 years of Australian citizenship have brought us.
The foundation of a dynamic, egalitarian multicultural nation, which recognises our diversity as our greatest strength.
Let us, in celebrating this history, never take it for granted.
What we have built, what we are building, is precious.
