Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised Australians his government will grab 2019 by the "scruff of its neck" and make it a winning year for all.
In his New Year's Day message, the Liberal Party leader urged people to savour the year and enjoy the summer break with friends and family.
"My job, our government's job, is to prepare Australia for any opportunity and eventuality. It's to grab the year by the scruff of its neck and make it a winner for all of us," Mr Morrison said in a statement on Tuesday.
The prime minister said Australia's diversity should be celebrated and protected because "it's key to who we are".
"We aren't just a country where if you have a go, you get a go ... it's a country where differences are respected and indeed, they are celebrated," Mr Morrison said.
Australians are entering the new year with a stronger economy with the coalition to hand down the first budget surplus the country has seen in more than a decade, he said.
With the upcoming federal election, Mr Morrison noted 2019 will be an important year for Australians and one of choice.
