Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service, Assistant Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Welcome, everyone, to Parliament House.
This year is an especially proud one for Australia's democracy as our Federation turns 125 years old.
This milestone has added a new word to our nation's vocabulary - 'quasquicentenary', meaning 125th anniversary.
And I don't want to reveal the winner of the award early.
But I think we all know that 'quasquicentenary' will be hard to beat for the Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year.
But even so, this milestone gives us an opportunity to reflect.
To reflect, with pride, that 125 years ago we chose to put aside our differences and come together as a nation.
Our people, and our states, realised the incredible strength of unifying together.
The Big Picture
Today I want to tell you the story of a painting that hangs here in Parliament House.
It is called the 'Big Picture'.
Painted by the beloved Australian artist, Tom Roberts.
It is very much as described - a very big picture!
And it needs to be, because it depicts the first-ever sitting of the Australian Parliament in Melbourne.
On that day on 9 May 1901, 12,000 guests were stuffed inside the Royal Exhibition Building.
Roberts' contract required him to include realistic representations of "not less than 250" of the "most distinguished".
Tom Roberts worked painstakingly to deliver.
For two years he worked on the painting.
He made individual sketches of 269 people.
He noted their height, weight, and even hat size.
Not everyone cooperated, mind you.
It is said that John Forrest, Western Australia's first Premier, was cagey about sharing his measurements.
Our first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, could not sit still.
Some of these "most distinguished" Australians even approached Roberts with bribes, vying for a better position on the canvas.
There were other challenges, too.
In making the work, Roberts' eyesight suffered. So did his health.
But despite the hurdles, the painting is a masterpiece.
The 'Big Picture' a snapshot of a defining moment in Australia's history.
It also tells a story of commitment, hard work and resilience.
Roberts' love of his country and his drive to capture a distinctly Australian aesthetic shine through.
There is a lesson for us in this story.
It is not what we have in a material sense that makes Australia what it is.
It is not the buildings or the roads, or even the paintings that hang on our walls.
It is the people.
Hard-working people.
Creative people.
People who are big-hearted and generous, caring and brave.
People with a sense of history and a drive to build a brighter future for all.
As our 2026 Australian of the Year Award finalists, you embody these qualities.
You light up what can sometimes feel like a pretty dark world, and you give hope to others.
As our 2025 Australian of the Year Neale Daniher says:
"I choose hope because I believe in the decency and generosity of Australians."
And that hope, decency and generosity has been on this land not just for 125 years, but for 65,000 years.
Because, like Tom Roberts, everyone in this room sees the big picture, too.
From small towns to, quite literally, the outer reaches of space, your individual actions add to a larger whole.
At Federation, Australians understood that we are stronger together than apart.
And, today, that remains the proud heart of our national story.
In tomorrow's ceremony, the national award winners will be announced.
It is an exciting moment; it always is.
But as far as I am concerned, because of your contributions, Australia has all already won.
Congratulations, and thank you.
