| I am pleased to provide this message to everyone attending the Polish Constitution Day Dinner.
Adopted at the height of the Polish Enlightenment, the 1791 Constitution reflected the ambition and optimism of the age, declaring that “all authority in human society takes its origin in the will of the people”.
The belief of the Polish people in democratic values has since withstood the worst of political regimes, and the Constitution remains a powerful and enduring symbol of Poland’s struggle to be a free and democratic people.
Tonight is an opportunity to celebrate the democracy that Poland has become and also to reflect on the contribution of the Polish-Australian community to our country.
Polish explorers, sailors, army officers and even a convict were among the first European settlers in Australia, and Polish Australians have greatly enriched our nation ever since.
Hundreds of Poles joined the gold rushes, and a Polish officer of the Victorian Mounted Police led the charge against the Eureka Stockade. Polish labourers helped to build some of our most vital infrastructure, and many have become renowned actors, writers, artists and sportsmen and women.
The multicultural character of Australia is unimaginable without the life, the times and the passion of people who have come here from all four corners of the earth, including from Poland.
I send my best wishes to everyone celebrating Polish Constitution Day and wish you an enjoyable evening.
The Hon Tony Abbott MP
Prime Minister of Australia
1 May 2015 | 
