PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH
NATIONAL ITALIAN DAY CELEBRATIONS
THE DOMAIN SYDNEY 1 JUNE 1986
CAVALIERE CAPELLETTO, PREMIER WRAN, YOUR EXCELLENCY,
DR ERIC DA RIN, CONSUL GENERAL ALVISE MEMMO, MAYOR
SUTHERLAND, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR ITALY THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, A DAY ON WHICH
ITALIANS TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION.
HERE IN AUSTRALIA THIS OCCASION GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO
REFLECT ON OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY,
AND ON THE MANY OTHER CLOSE TIES BINDING OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
THE GREAT STRENGTH OF OUR TIES DERIVES FROM THE MANY
AUSTRALIAN ITALIANS LIVING HERE, A COMMUNITY WHOSE ORIGINS
IN AUSTRALIA GO BACK WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND WHOSE
GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CULTURE ARE VALUED
BY ALL AUSTRALIANS.
MY VISIT TO ROME LAST MONTH GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
TO PRIME MINISTER CRAXI ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN ITALIAN
COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHES TO IT.
THIS IMPORTANCE WAS REFLECTED BY THE SIGNING OF THE SOCIAL
SECURITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES, AN AGREEMENT
REACHED AFTER MANY YEARS AND AFTER CLOSE CONSULTATIONS WITH
THE COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA.
I AN DELIGHTED THAT UNDER THEl AGREEMENT THOUSAND) S OF
IN AUSTRALIA AND IN ITALY WILL NOW BE AflLZ TO BENEFIT PR~ O*
ITALIAN OR AUSTRALI: AN PENSIONS.
BOTH PRIME M~ INISTER CRAXI AND I WERE PLEASED TO BE ABLE T1O
DISCUSS WAYS IN WHICH OUR TWO COUNTRIES, SO CLOSELY LINKED
THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN ITALIAN COMMUNITY, COULD WORK
TOGETHER TO OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT. WE SAW ADVANTAGES IN
INCREASING TRADE AND JOINT VENTURES, PARTICULARLY IN THE
HIGH TECHNOLOGY FIELD. MR CRAXI SAID, TOO, THAT HE WOULD
ESTABLISH A BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE TO CO-ORDINATE ITALIAN
INVOLVEMENT IN OUR BICENTENARY, REFLECTING THE LONG
INFLUENCE OF ITALIAN MIGRANTS ON AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. WE
BOTH LOOKED FORWARD, TOO, TO ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE
AMERICA'S CUP, WHEN AUSTRALIA HOPES TO WELCOME MANY VISITORS
FROM ITALY.
I WAS VERY PLEASED THAT HAZEL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, ON BEHALF
OF THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE, TO OPEN THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT
CENTRE IN AVELLINO, THE LATEST IN A REMARKABLE SERIES OF
PROJECTS FOR VICTIMS OF THE SOUTHERN ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE
DISASTER IN 1980 FUNDED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE ITALIAN
COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ONCE AGAIN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMITTEES,
HEADED BY GENNARO ABIGNANO AND CARLO VALMORBIDA, FOR THEIR
LONG AND SUCCESSFUL INVOLVEMENT WITH THE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF
APPEAL.
I THINK I CMI SAY THAT NY VISIT SERVED TO ILLUSTRATE THE
FACT THAT AUSTRALIA AND ITALY TODAY SHAAE A MATURE AND
SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER'S ASPIRATIONS: WE
SHARE THE WILL TO FURTHER DEVELOP OUR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
LINKS. WE ARE INCREASINGLY COMING TOGETHER IN THE CULTURAL
AND SPORTING FIELDS AS EVIDENCED BY THE CURRENT TOUR OF
AUSTRALIA BY THE ITALIAN RUGBY UNION TEAM. AND ALTHOUGH WE
ARE SORRY THAT THE SOCCEROOS DID NOT GET TO THE WORLD CUP IN
MEXICO, DESPITE THEIR VALIANT EFFORTS, WE WISH ITALY ALL THE
BEST. TODAY I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FORMATION OF THE
AUSTRALIA-ITALY PROMOTION COMMITTEE, A NEW BODY WHOSE
MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN DRAWN FROM A CROSS-SECTION OF THE
COMMUNITY. THE AUSTRALIA-ITALY PROMOTION COMMITTEE WILL
CO-ORDINATE AND ADVISE ON THE PROMOTION OF CONTACTS AND
EXCHANGES IN THE FIELDS OF SPORT, TOURISM, INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION AND SOME CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.
I UNDERSTAND MY COLLEAGUE, THE MINISTER FOR SPORT,
RECREATION AND TOURISM, MR BROWN, WILL BE ANNOUNCING FULL
DETAILS LATER TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIRE TO MARE PARTICULAR
MENTION HERE OF HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO MR FRANCO
BELGIORNO-NETTIS, WHO HAS GENEROUSLY AGREED TO CHAIR THE
COMMITTEE. MR BELGIORNO-NETTIS ALREADY CONTRIBUTES GREATLY
TO AUSTRALIA'S CULTURAL LIFE THROUGH HIS ROLES AS CHAIRMAN
OF THE BIENNALE OF SYDNEY AND AS DIRECTOR OF THE
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL CORPORATION OF AUSTRALIA.
4.
TODA, K& TXOI(& L i TAL iAm DAY,_ LET US CtLE3AT3t NOT OILY FORTY
YEARS OF THE ITALIAN REPUBhLIC BUT ALSO TUE GREAT
CONTRIBUTION OF AUSTRALIAN ITALIANS TO THE Q) UALITY AND THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS LAND OF OURS.