http://australianpolitics.com Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:23:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth AustralianPolitics.com no Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://australianpolitics.com/category/foreign/anzus http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gives-it-a-burl.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gives-it-a-burl.html#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:50:06 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4550 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gives-it-a-burl.html/feed 0 Barack Obama,Julia Gillard,Tony Abbott President Obama has been welcomed to Australia, ahead of his address both houses of the parliament tomorrow morning. - At a reception in the Great Hall, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott spoke warmly of the US-Australian relationship. President Obama has been welcomed to Australia, ahead of his address both houses of the parliament tomorrow morning. At a reception in the Great Hall, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott spoke warmly of the US-Australian relationship. Obama responded with a humorous speech about language differences between the two countries. Giving it a burl, he said the relationship is in top nick. Listen to Julia Gillard's speech: PLAY Listen to Tony Abbott's speech: PLAY Listen to Barack Obama's speech: PLAY Transcript of President Obama's remarks. 9:09 P.M. AEST Well, Prime Minister Gillard and Leader Abbott, thank you both for your wonderfully warm words. And I thank you for showing that in Canberra, as in Washington, people may not always see eye-to-eye, but on this we are all united: There are no better friends than the United States and Australia. (Applause.) Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, and distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to be brief, for we have had a busy day. I am not sure what day it is. (Laughter.) Am I’m going to subject you to a very long speech tomorrow. But I do want to express my deep appreciation for the way you’ve welcomed me here today. I know that I am not the first guy from Chicago to come to these parts. A century ago, Walter Burley Griffin came here with a vision for this city. He said, “I have planned a city that is not like any other in the world.” And tonight, I want to thank all of you -- and the people of Australia -- for the hospitality that is unlike any other in the world. Our toasts earlier tonight reminded me of a story. It’s from our troops -- this is true story -- our troops serving together in Afghanistan. Our guys, the Americans, couldn’t figure out why your guys were always talking about cheese. All day long. Morning, noon and night. Why are the Aussies always talking about cheese? And then, finally, they realized -- it was their Australian friends just saying hello, just saying “cheers.” (Laughter.) So we Americans and Australians, we may not always speak the same way, or use the same words, but I think it’s pretty clear, especially from the spirit of this visit, and our time together this evening, that we understand each other. And we see the world in the same way -- even if we do have to disagree on the merits of vegemite. (Laughter.) As many of you know, I first came to Australia as a child. But despite my visits, I have to admit I never did learn to talk "Strine." I know there is some concern here that your Australian language is being Americanized. So perhaps it’s time for us to reverse the trend. Tonight, with your permission, I’d like to give it a burl. (Laughter and applause.) I want to thank the Prime Minister for a very productive meeting that we had today. I think she’ll agree it was a real chinwag. (Laughter.) When Julia and I meet, we listen to each other, we learn from each other. It’s not just a lot of earbashing. (Laughter.) That's a good one -- earbashing. (Laughter.) I can use that in Washington. (Laughter.) Because there's a lot of earbashing sometimes. (Laughter.) That’s been the story of our two nations. Through a century of progress and struggle, we have stood together, in good times and in bad. We’ve faced our share of sticky wickets. (Laughter.) In some of our darkest moments -- when our countries have been threatened, when we needed a friend to count on -- we’ve always been there for each other. At Darwin. At Midway. After 9/11 and after Bali. It’s that moment, in the midst of battle -- when the bullets are flying and the outcome is uncertain -- when Americans and Aussies look over at each other, knowing that we’ve got each other’s backs, knowing in our hearts -- no worries, she'll be right. (Laughter and applause.) And so tonight -- as we mark 60 years of this remarkable alliance, through war and peace, hardship and prosperity -- we gather together, AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gillard-press-conference.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gillard-press-conference.html#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:52:56 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4544 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-gillard-press-conference.html/feed 0 Barack Obama,China,Julia Gillard President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard have held a joint press conference in Canberra at which they announced new US troop deployments to the Northern Territory. - Obama welcomed "a rising, peaceful China" and said China's rise came with respo... President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard have held a joint press conference in Canberra at which they announced new US troop deployments to the Northern Territory. Obama welcomed "a rising, peaceful China" and said China's rise came with responsibilities such as helping to underwrite rules for economic growth. He said that China and India need to do their share of fighting climate change. Obama said the notion that the US fears China or wants to exclude it is "mistaken", but he emphasised a "consistent theme" that China needs to rethink its approaches to trade. Listen to the Obama-Gillard press conference. PLAY AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obamas-message-to-australia.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obamas-message-to-australia.html#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:09:33 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4540 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obamas-message-to-australia.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-arrives-in-australia.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-arrives-in-australia.html#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:17:22 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4533 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/11/16/obama-arrives-in-australia.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/10/julia-gillards-address-to-the-joint-meeting-of-the-us-congress.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/10/julia-gillards-address-to-the-joint-meeting-of-the-us-congress.html#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:01:15 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4129 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/10/julia-gillards-address-to-the-joint-meeting-of-the-us-congress.html/feed 2 ANZUS,Julia Gillard Prime Minister Julia Gillard has delivered a 35 minute speech to a joint meeting of the United States Congress. - Click the PLAY button to listen to Gillard's speech: PLAY This is the prepared text of Julia Gillard's speech to the US Congress. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has delivered a 35 minute speech to a joint meeting of the United States Congress. Click the PLAY button to listen to Gillard's speech: PLAY This is the prepared text of Julia Gillard's speech to the US Congress. Mr Speaker. Mr President Pro Tempore. Distinguished Members of the Senate and the House. Distinguished Guests. Ladies and Gentlemen. I am the fourth Australian Prime Minister to address you here assembled. Like them, I take your invitation as a great honour. Like them, I accept it on behalf of Australia. Since 1950, Australian Prime Ministers Robert Menzies, Bob Hawke and John Howard have come here. Speaking for all the Australian people through you to all the people of the United States they each came with a simple message. A message which has been true in war and peace, in hardship and prosperity, in the Cold War and in the new world. A message I repeat today. Distinguished Members of the Senate and the House ... You have a true friend down under. For my parents' generation, the defining image of America was the landing at Normandy. Your "boys of Point-du-Hoc"... risking everything to help free the world. For my own generation, the defining image of America was the landing on the moon. My classmates and I were sent home from school to watch the great moment on television. I'll always remember thinking that day: Americans can do anything. Americans helped free the world of my parents' generation. Americans inspired the world of my own youth. I stand here and I see the same brave and free people today. I believe you can do anything still. There is a reason the world always looks to America. Your great dream – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – inspires us all. Those of you who have spent time with Australians know that we are not given to overstatement. By nature we are laconic speakers and by conviction we are realistic thinkers. In both our countries, real mates talk straight. We mean what we say. You have an ally in Australia. An ally for war and peace. An ally for hardship and prosperity. An ally for the sixty years past and Australia is an ally for all the years to come. Geography and history alone could never explain the strength of the commitment between us. Rather, our values are shared and our people are friends. This is the heart of our alliance. This is why in our darkest days we have been glad to see each other's face and hear each other's voice. Australia's darkest days in the last century followed the fall of Singapore in 1942. And you were with us. Under attack in the Pacific, we fought together. Side by side, step by bloody step. And while it was Australian soldiers at Milne Bay who gave the Allies our first victory on land in the Pacific War, it was American sailors at the Battle of the Coral Sea who destroyed the fear of an invasion of Australia. Distinguished Members of the Senate and the House Australia does not forget. The ultimate expression of our alliance, the ANZUS Treaty, was not signed until 1951. But it was anticipated a decade earlier. In the judgements – the clear, frank and accurate judgements – of an Australian Prime Minister. And in the resolve – the extraordinary, immovable resolve – of an American President. In the decades since, we have stuck together. In every major conflict. From Korea and Vietnam to the conflicts in the Gulf. Your darkest days since Pearl Harbour were ten years ago in Washington and New York. And we were with you. My predecessor John Howard was quite literally with you and he came to this Capitol when you met on September 12 to show you that Australians would be with you again. And after fifty years, under a new Prime Minister and a new President, the ANZUS Treaty was invoked. Within Australia's democracy, John Howard and I had our differences. AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/09/gillard-obama-at-wakefield-high.html http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/09/gillard-obama-at-wakefield-high.html#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:01:16 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=4127 http://australianpolitics.com/2011/03/09/gillard-obama-at-wakefield-high.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/12/15/the-age-publishes-wikileaks-cables-from-us-embassy.html http://australianpolitics.com/2010/12/15/the-age-publishes-wikileaks-cables-from-us-embassy.html#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:10:50 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=2370 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/12/15/the-age-publishes-wikileaks-cables-from-us-embassy.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/08/hillary-clinton-with-hamish-and-andy.html http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/08/hillary-clinton-with-hamish-and-andy.html#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:45:39 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=1647 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/08/hillary-clinton-with-hamish-and-andy.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/07/hillary-clinton-speaks-in-melbourne.html http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/07/hillary-clinton-speaks-in-melbourne.html#comments Sun, 07 Nov 2010 05:46:22 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=1467 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/11/07/hillary-clinton-speaks-in-melbourne.html/feed 0 Daniel Grollo,Glyn Davis,Grocon,Hillary Clinton,Julia Gillard,Leigh Sales,Pixel Building The United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has spoken at a range of events in Melbourne today. - In the morning, Clinton spoke to a group of young Australians at the University of Melbourne. Click the PLAY button to listen to the "Austral... The United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has spoken at a range of events in Melbourne today. In the morning, Clinton spoke to a group of young Australians at the University of Melbourne. Click the PLAY button to listen to the "Australian Conversation with Hillary Clinton", as broadcast by the ABC. PLAY Later, Clinton spoke at the announcement of an Australian-US collaborative research venture aimed at cutting the cost of solar energy to the level of conventional fossil fuel power within five years. Clinton was joined by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a joint press conference. Click the PLAY button to listen to part of Gillard's speech, followed by a question and answer session with Clinton. PLAY This is the transcript of the joint appearance by Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard at the Grocon Pixel Building in Melbourne. MR. GROLLO: Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to Grocon's carbon neutral Pixel Building, and thank you very much for your attendance. My name is Daniel Grollo, and I am the CEO of Grocon. Grocon is the development and construction company that has created Pixel, the building we stand in today. As we are all aware, the issue of global warming is one of international importance. And ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint and environmental footprint, as a human race, are under constant investigation with growing momentum. Pixel is a building of which we are very proud at Grocon. It is officially the greenest building in Australia, having received the highest-ever rating from the National Green Building Council, and is the only carbon neutral building of its type in the world. Further, the building is water-balanced. That is, it requires connection to water only for back-up purposes. That is because it is so efficient with every drop of rainfall being harvested right here on the roof, and being then used three times within the building. Pixel is also currently being rated by the U.S. LEED and UK BREEAM systems. And with the scores that we are targeting under those systems, we believe Pixel will be confirmed as being at the forefront of sustainable development worldwide. Pixel contains all the latest green technology, like the vertical access wind turbines on the roof, the fixed and tracking solar panels for power, daylight glare control through the colorful sunshades, and the green roof upstairs. Pixel will produce more energy than it uses, and over time will pay back all of the carbon used during its construction. In creating this pilot project, we have sought to identify best of type technology from around the world in an innovative and sustainable way. We believe Pixel's greatest opportunity lies in being able to share the solutions illustrated here to help solve a global problem. Pixel shows that solutions are available today. All that is needed is to the will to make it happen. I believe the announcements of the U.S. and Australian Governments today will demonstrate that both countries do have the will and leadership required. And on that note, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard. (Applause.) PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Thank you very much to Daniel Grollo for that introduction and for having us here today. And it's obviously a great pleasure for me to be here with Secretary of State Clinton and with our ambassadors, both the U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Ambassador Bleich, and of course our very old friend and our ambassador to the United States, Kim Beazley. And we are here today to talk about how we jointly are working on and facing up to the challenge of tackling climate change. And, as Daniel has explained, there could be no better place to have this discussion than in this remarkable building, where the wind turbines up on the roof that we have just seen were invented here, in Victoria. AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2008/11/08/john-key-claims-victory-for-new-zealand-national-party.html http://australianpolitics.com/2008/11/08/john-key-claims-victory-for-new-zealand-national-party.html#comments Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:18:54 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=403 http://australianpolitics.com/2008/11/08/john-key-claims-victory-for-new-zealand-national-party.html/feed 0