My task, as a member of this parliament and a 30-year member of the Australian Labor Party, as its former leader, as its former foreign minister and its former prime minister, is to now throw my every effort in securing Julia Gillard’s re-election as Labor prime minister at the next election.

The Government’s mission is to build a strong and fair Australia capable of meeting the new challenges of the 21st century.

The Australian Government’s decision to take on the dominant funding role for the entire public hospital system is designed to: end the blame game; eliminate waste; and to shoulder the funding burden of the rapidly rising health costs of the future.

As you know, the Australian Labour Party is committed to turning the country into a republic. We’ve not stipulated a timeline for doing that. We are sensitive to the other priorities we’ve got as a nation and in the world, but in time the country will head in that direction.

Mr Howard’s problem is for so long he’s been a climate change sceptic, how can he, therefore, put himself to the country as part of a climate change solution for the future.

John Howard’s credibility on the entire Iraq war has been torpedoed by John Howard’s own intelligence agency.

We have a prime minister, I’m the foreign minister, I’m trying to get on with the job of doing Australia’s foreign policy.

Of course I base all my election promises and policies on opinion polls.

A continuing narrative throughout Australia’s history that says it is better to build up than to tear down – this is the continuing mission of Labor.

A core challenge for Australia is – how do we best prepare ourselves for the Asia Pacific century – to maximise the opportunities, to minimise the threats and to make our own active contribution to making this Asia-Pacific Century peaceful, prosperous and sustainable for us all.