Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had the pleasure of visiting the United States earlier in January as a part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. It was my first time in the United States, and their comprehensive agenda ensured each participant made the most of their time there. The week-long program helped me gain a deeper understanding of US foreign and defence policy, study their strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific and, most importantly, develop a renewed appreciation for the firm and long-lasting ties between our two countries.

Besides visits and roundtables, however, the best part of the program was watching Hamilton with my good friends from this chamber—namely, the members for Cunningham, Solomon, Menzies, Indi, Casey and Moncrieff and, from the other place, Senators Raff Ciccone, Claire Chandler and David Pocock.

We were also fortunate to visit the Australian embassy in Washington, DC, with the ambassador, Hon. Arthur Sinodinos, being a wonderful host. Thank you to the US embassy and Department of State for organising such a well-rounded learning experience. I look forward to seeing the cooperation between our two countries grow more substantially.