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Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Page: 9878

Visit of President of the United States of America

Mr DANBY (Melbourne Ports) (14:15): My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the forthcoming visit to Australia of the President of the United States of America?

Opposition members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister has the call.

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:15): I think it is truly disappointing that this announcement cannot be met with support from both sides of the House. It is truly disappointing that that cannot happen—that partisanship and bitterness have so overtaken the opposition that they are unable to welcome a visit to this country by the President of the United States. But I am in the happy position—

Opposition members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has been asked a question. The Prime Minister has the call. She should be heard in silence.

Ms GILLARD: Thank you very much. I am in the happy position to confirm that President Obama will visit Australia on 16 and 17 November. I welcome that, the government welcomes that and, I believe, the Australian people will welcome that. President Obama's visit will come immediately after he chairs the APEC meeting in Honolulu, and it will occur just before he proceeds to the meeting of the expanded East Asia Summit in Indonesia. I believe he will enjoy a warm welcome here.

When I had the opportunity to speak to President Obama earlier this year, I of course renewed Australia's invitation for him to visit. I said to him he would be welcome any time he was able to visit our country. He indicated to me that he was looking forward to visiting—he was looking forward to doing that because of the shared objectives that our countries have but also because he has very fond personal recollections of Australia from his visits here when he was a child. So we will be welcoming President Obama.

In terms of the objectives of the visit, it could not come at a better time given we will be proceeding to the East—

Opposition members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The House will come to order! The Prime Minister has the call.

Ms GILLARD: Thank you very much. I am used to it; there is nothing in this nation's interests that the opposition will not seek to trash. The visit could not come at a better time because we will be proceeding to the East Asia Summit, an important piece of regional architecture, and President Obama will be attending it for the first time. It could not come at a better time because we do have the 60th anniversary of our alliance to celebrate and commemorate. It could not come at a better time because it is 10 years since 9/11, something that I believe Australians marked and reflected upon over the weekend. To have President Obama here 10 years on is very important. It could not come at a better time because we continue to see instability in global markets and we will be working towards the G20 and looking forward to discussions at the G20 to consolidate global growth. It could not come at a better time because our nations are working in discussions as the United States works through its global force posture review. It could not come at a better time because we do have the important issue of transition in Afghanistan, where our soldiers fight today, to discuss together.

I trust that when we receive President Obama it will be done genuinely by this parliament in a spirit of bipartisanship. I am disgusted it has got off to such a ridiculous start.

Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order that goes to standing order 94 and behaviour in the House. Quite clearly the interjections against the Prime Minister on such an issue are quite extraordinary. It is one thing for there to be interjections on partisan issues, but I would have thought the US alliance and the visit of the President of the United States was above that sort of partisan nonsense. Clearly, if they have had testosterone pills prior to question time then there are sanctions available to be used and they should be used.