Albanese serves hot meals with a side of hope for Christmas lunch.

 Extract from The Guardian

Anthony Albanese serving meals in Sydney on Christmas Day. The federal government has pledged $10m for the Rev Bill Crews Foundation.

Sydney

Armed with gloves, apron and tongs, politicians from across the aisle gathered to serve festive fare at the Rev Bill Crews Foundation in Sydney

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Australian Associated Press

Thu 25 Dec 2025 16.43 AEDT

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In a show of Christmas spirit, leaders from both sides of politics have put aside their differences to serve lunch to their communities.

Disadvantaged Australians from all walks of life have gathered for Christmas lunch as political leaders offer food and hope.

Armed with gloves, an apron and a pair of tongs, Anthony Albanese spent Christmas morning serving festive fare at the Rev Bill Crews Foundation in his inner-west Sydney electorate.

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The prime minister was joined by the NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, the social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, state MP Jo Haylen and the NSW premier, Chris Minns, who smothered plates of ham and potatoes with gravy while reminiscing about his short-lived stint at McDonald’s.

Premier Chris Minns and member for Summer Hill Jo Haylen serve food alongside volunteers. Photograph: Sitthixay Ditthavong/EPA

The NSW opposition leader, Kellie Sloane

Each politician then took turns delivering hot meals to those patiently waiting in the courtyard.

“Most of the people here have dislocated families and lives,” said Crews.

“For them to come and connect with one another shows they can find some hope in a world which is pretty grey at the moment.

“And to have senior politicians here is really important because it says to people feeling at the lowest of the low, that they matter.”

Albanese received a warm welcome from guests

Diners greeted the prime minister in particular with glee, asking for handshakes and selfies as he ferried plates to their tables.

It was the warmest welcome he had received in weeks after a fortnight marked by anger, frustration and fear following a terrorist attack at Bondi beach.

The prime minister has volunteered at the kitchen for years

Volunteer Di King, known as “Auntie Di”, has spent the past 11 Christmases cooking at the Rev Bill Crews Foundation and hugged Albanese as soon as he came through the kitchen doors.

“It’s important to all of us to have community,” she said.

“We have a lot of people who have mental health problems, with addiction, lonely old people, people of Chinese ethnicity who’ve come out to look after grandchildren.

“They really, really need us, and we need them.”

For years, the now-prime minister and his son have regularly volunteered at the kitchen alongside the 81-year-old.

Reverend Bill Crews with Anthony Albanese. The Albanese government has pledged $10m for the Bill Crews Foundation

On Thursday his government pledged $10m for the foundation.

“This is a cause extremely close to my heart,” Albanese said.

“I am so proud to call Bill a friend and to have seen up close the impact his work has made.”

Jo Haylen, Chris Minns, Rev Bill Crews and Tanya Plibersek pose for a photo with volunteers

At a press conference, Albanese and Minns acknowledged that this Christmas would be different following the Bondi attack, and reiterated calls for Australians to “wrap their arms” around the Jewish community.

Minns said: “I can only imagine the heartbreak, the pain that they’ve gone through, but I want them to know that Australians have got their back.”

He and the prime minister thanked emergency service workers and volunteers working on Christmas Day. “They don’t get a day off. We need them 365 days a year,” said Minns.

Albanese said he remained “an optimist about this great country”.

“And what I see here … overwhelmingly is what this great country is about.”

– with Penry Buckley