This is the text of an address by Peter Reith, Minister for Defence, to the ANZUS Conference at the University of Sydney.
Speech by Defence Minister Peter Reith to ANZUS conference.
It is a great pleasure to ‘bounce the ball’ for the second half of this conference – although something of an invidious task: to reconvene our discussions first-up after last night’s dinner.
Our theme, I needn’t remind you, is the alliance between our two nations in its regional context. However, it is not a question of putting our alliance into this regional context; it is a matter of appreciating the extent to which our alliance is part of that context.
Well ladies and gentlemen I’d like to welcome you to this, I think very important gathering to mark a very important treaty between two very great countries and two very great societies. And I’d particularly like to welcome Senator Michael Enzie from Wyoming, and Senate Sargent at Arms James Ziglar and their wives, Vice-Admiral Jim Metzger the Commander of the Seventh Fleet and his wife, and also to the captain and the crew members of USS Blue Ridge.