Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Banks for his question. I trust that all members of the House are able at this point to unite and say that our alliance with the United States has had bipartisan support for 60 years. Indeed we are celebrating the 60th year and that is a great celebration. There has been bipartisan support from the days when John Curtin said to this nation that we should look to America. There has been bipartisan support as we have made our way in the world in times of war and in times of peace.

I have described the relationship between our two countries as being ‘great mates’. I have had the opportunity to meet with President Obama at the G20, at the APEC meeting, and at the NATO meeting discussing the further strategy in Afghanistan. When I met with President Obama at the APEC meeting he invited me to visit Washington early this year, and I will be accepting that invitation and travelling to America this weekend to meet with President Obama.

In America when meeting with President Obama I intend to pursue discussions on a broad range of fronts for Australia. First and foremost, we will be discussing the way in which the globe is emerging from the global financial crisis. There are still challenges to the global economy. Australia has emerged very strong indeed, but I think we are all aware that there continue to be challenges in the global economy that need to be worked through and discussed, and I look forward to those discussions with President Obama.

Secondly, we will be discussing our joint mission in Afghanistan. This was part of what was discussed at the NATO meeting in ISAF format, which I attended late last year with the endorsement of the strategy put forward by General Petraeus, the strategy that informed the statement I made to this House about our future strategy in Afghanistan as we move to transition. Of course I will be pursuing discussion on Afghanistan and the way ahead.

I will be talking to President Obama about our region and the importance of the emerging new regional architecture including the East Asia Summit in which the US and China will participate—

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