Greater Hume Council Mayor Tony Quinn's Australia Day speech at Wymah, NSW.
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00:00 Even in our small Shire, people all cry out, the country's got no leadership, the world's got no leaders.
00:10 It's quite a fallacy. Leadership comes from the grassroots up.
00:17 And you and I, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, today here represent the grassroots.
00:25 I hope and pray that 2024 will be the year that we all stand up for the values of this great country.
00:35 The first bit of nonsense about changing the day of Australia Day, let's stop that nonsense and stand up.
00:42 Talk to your neighbours, talk to your fellow street people.
00:46 Australia's got some enormous problems like everywhere else in the world and we should be helping deal with them.
00:54 We should deal with the trigger that people who've got nothing much to do like to create.
00:59 Greater Hume is run by a council and staff, but we also have an enormous amount of volunteers.
01:09 And volunteers are what make the place tick.
01:13 They do the jobs that nobody else seems to want to do, unpaid jobs.
01:20 But I want to pay tribute to an organisation called the Rural Fire Service.
01:24 The local captains of the brigade or the group captains will get a page at two o'clock in the morning, a car on fire.
01:33 Might be a hay shed, might be a tree, lightning strike, etc, etc.
01:39 And they round up a crew and go and do the job.
01:43 Very seldom is there even the word thank you, let alone there's no pay.
01:49 But these are the type of individuals that make Australia tick.
01:54 And I have a very close relationship with them and they expect me to do my job.
02:02 And part of my job here is to tell you today that they and I are going to keep Australia Day until 26th of January.
02:10 And you should all put your feet together and stand and say this is what we want to happen.
02:17 There's lots of other things that we could mention that I want everybody to enjoy the day.
02:24 But during 24, I can promise you I'll be quite vocal.
02:30 And I want you one and all in your own quiet way, it might sound a bit of a contradiction, but to be vocal.
02:37 Talk about the problems.
02:41 Just in closing, we have a problem in Australia that there are quite a few people who cannot help themselves.
02:47 We should help them.
02:49 But then we've got quite a section who won't help themselves.
02:53 And this is where I hope the Ambassador might be able to give me a few clues because we've got to mentor these people.
03:00 We've got to motivate them to take up the challenge of working so that their life will be a lot better and a lot happier.
03:10 It's not a criticism, it's just how things have happened.
03:12 But we shouldn't have to import a body, a massive body of people from overseas to fill our jobs.
03:20 Honestly, as Christian people, we cannot neglect this part of society that just needs a bit of propping up, a bit of mentoring, and then they take up the challenge.
03:32 And that's the second part.
03:34 Well, I'm asking you guys to look at that.
03:37 The first part about there's no doubt in my mind the date shouldn't be changed.
03:40 But the second part about is helping those who can't quite get up to the mark to make the mark.
03:47 You'll make their lives a lot better and you'll also feel a lot better.
03:50 In conclusion, I'd like to say the Almighty's been very kind today.
03:57 No rain.
03:59 I hope you'll bless Australia and bless us all.
04:01 Have a great day.
04:03 God bless.
04:04 God bless.
04:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]