Before question time, Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley welcomed the Australian of the Year Neale Daniher to the parliament.

Mike Bowers caught a meeting between the pair earlier in the day:

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Australian of the Year Neal Daniher in his offices in Parliament House, Canberra this morning. Photograph by Mike Bowers

Albanese:

It’s a great honour to welcome our 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher. I was able to meet with Neale, a wonderful evening at the arboretum, where Neale was designated as a very worthy Australian of the Year.

Since Neale was diagnosed with MND in 2013, he has inspired all Australians with his battle against what he calls ‘the beast’. Neale, I know you are fond of saying when all is said and done, more is said than done.” What you have done is truly extraordinary.

Through fight MND, those iconic beanies and the famous big freeze slide on the King’s Birthday at the ‘G, $117 million has been raised to fund research into a cure.

I know this whole Parliament is proud to support those efforts as governments from both sides have over many years. Neale, yours is a message of hope, a message of courage and a message of determination. It’s touched the lives of so many Australians. You lift us all up, welcome to our Parliament and thank you, mate, for what you do.