Sam Mostyn has called for an “unstinting focus on kindness, care and respect”, warning contemporary challenges are straining the country’s social fabric.
“Women and men and often children stop me regularly to talk about this country they love. Across a wide range of backgrounds, life experiences and opinions, all of them wished for a brighter future for Australia,” Ms Mostyn said.“There is concern for rising lack of respect for women, of shrinking opportunities for some men and the need for respectful conversations to understand the place of men in our communities now.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy Turnbull were present for the ceremony, as well as former High Court judge Michael Kirby, diplomats and leading business figures, including Nicola Forrest, Liz Broderick, Ann Sherry, Ming Long, Nicola Wakefield Evans, Yasmin Allen, Carolyn McCann and Cass O’Connor.