Скачать или смотреть Protecting Democracy and Australian Values | 04 February 2026

Democracy is not a destination. It is something we earn every day through our words, our choices and the values we defend.

Around the world, we are seeing what happens when democratic norms erode, when misinformation spreads, and when division replaces shared truth. We cannot treat those developments as distant or irrelevant. Australia is not immune.

In Strathfield, more than 60 per cent of residents were born overseas. We are shaped by migration, difference and resilience. We speak many languages and practise many faiths, yet we share a deep belief in fairness, opportunity and respect for one another. That is the Australian spirit.

Democracy is protected not only in moments of crisis, but in the everyday decisions we make. In the leaders we elect. In the lies we challenge. In the dignity we afford one another.

Leadership must be about service. Patriotism must be about belonging. And our strength as a nation lies in the values we choose to uphold.

I believe in the decency of the Australian people. Together, we will not allow division and extremism to take root here.