max . I roB E -A 20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: I
THE ROUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOV 1996
qcstart speecho
Mr HOWARD ( Bennielong Prime Minister) ( 4.10 Mr
Speaker, Madam President, it is only the second time in the
history of this parliament that the two houses have sat
together to hear an address from a visiting head of state or
visiting head of government. That circumstance itself is a
token of the particular esteem in which the office of the
Presidency of the United States of America is held by the
Australian people, and it is also a markedly special
relationship that exists between our two countries.
Mr President, when the six colonies of Australia
federated in 1901 to form the Commonwealth of Australia, we
adopted a Westminster system of parliamentary government. But
we borrowed extensively from the United States of America in
relation to our other constitutional forms. We named our lower
house the Rouse of Representatives and our upper house the
Senatet after the pattern of your country. We decided to
assign specific powers to the central government with the
residue to the state governments, after the pattern of your
country. We borrowed heavily on your federal experience. The
history of Australia from the parliamentary point of view has
been that mixture. But out of that amalgam of British and
American tracts has emerged a distinctive and characteristic
Australian parliamentary democracy. It has been an echo of the
Page ITurn ## 3Page Turn# 40T4r. n1-0Time
Faxfrom : 20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: 2
THE MOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 20 Nov 1996
aspirations of the Australian people over the long years since
Federation. There are only a very small number of countries which
have continuously been democratic through the 20th century.
The United States of America and Australia are two of that
small and very select number of nations. For that reason,
above many other reasons, your presence here today is warmly
received, warmly welcomed and warmly applauded by all of the
Australian people, irrespective of their political beliefs. It
is rare indeed that we have an assembly of all members and
senators across the party divide unanimously to welcome the
leader of a great nation, a nation which has led the cause of
freedom and the battle for freedom and the values we all share
in common over such a long period of time.
We both belong to a robust democratic tradition, We both
belong to nations that believe in individual liberty, believe
in personal values, believe in the freedom of the press,
believe in the separation of the judiciary from the
legislative and the executive. For all of those reasons, and
many others, you are indeed a very welcome g-uest. I
I hope, Mr President, that your time here in Canberra is
one that you remember fondly. We certainly will. I hope both
you and Mrs Clinton enjoy your time and carry with you a
special recollection of your addressing this joint sitting of
Page 2Turn 403Page Turnf0t4#. 31T0urn-Time
tax I roa 20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: 3
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES20 Nov 1996
the parliament of the Australian people.
tend speech*
Page 3Turn ## 3Turn-Time 04.10
r-ax ' ron28/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: 4
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 20 Nov 1.996
qstart speech*
Mr BEAZLEY ( Brand Leader of the Opposition) ( 4.12 p. m.)
Mr Speaker, Mr President, Madam President, honourable
members and senators; Mr President, you are most welcome on
this historic occasion as the Prime Minister pointed out,
one of only a couple and we are very proud to be here with
you. I should say that there are more than simply the
government and opposition represented here. There are a number
of independent members and also members of two other political
parties, the Greens and the Australian Democrats. This is a
great gathering of all Australian opinion to hear you in this
place, and nio better forum than this.
George Schultz once said to me, ' How could anybody spend
a $ 1 billion on a building?' We took him through the building
and he worked out how we managed to spend it. it is a place of
which we are enormously proud and is a great symbol of our
nation and the unity of our nation and the hopes and
aspirations of our people. It has within it a very specific
Australian design.
It is of course not the f irst time your visit here or
the visit of your predecessor George Bush that there has
been the involvement of the United States in our parliamentary
process, and I think it is useful to reflect on that.
Page 4Turn ## 3Page Tu* r# 0 43. T1u0rnTime
tax from2/ 1/ 6 1: 3 P 5
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 20 NOv 1996
Throughout World War II we did have a number of parliamentary
briefings given by General Douglas MacArthur, who is a man
whose name rings in the halls of fame of this nation and a
name that is remembered with gratitude. Which brings to mind
the fact that we ought to in this place appreciate through
yourself the role of your nation over the last 50 years or so
of international history.
cmore to come turn 4 follows Turn Time 04.10
20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg:
Page 5Tuxrn 043
FaxF an -20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 P56
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 20 Nov 1996
qMr B3eaz lay in ccntinuatiowz
You now preside over a nation which has produced probably
the most unselfish gesture that any nation has in recorded
history that is, your people have been prepared to lay
themselves on the line when they could have been secure in
isolation and to risk for themselves nuclear devastation on
behalf of their friends. It ought not go unrecorded that we do
appreciate that.
it should be said that that sat lightly on this couttry
because I do not think we have ever been in recent times
likely to have enemies that would cause the United States to
riske that nuclear devastation in assisting us. Nevertheless,
we have thought it important for ourselves to play a part in
that. I have often argued, particularly when I was the
Minister for Defence, that we have never been consumers of
American security except in that one period.
I also like to point out to my American colleagues that
General Douglas MacArthur had more Australian troops under his
command until late 1943 than American. His great victories
early in the war in New Guinea were fought substantially with
Australian troops. Hie set that matter at rest and changed the
ratios in the Philippines, But, until that point in time,
there had been a very substantial contribution. we have made
our contribution over those years, too.
Page ITurn ## 4Page Turn* 116t. 41T5urn-Time
Fax from 20/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: 7
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVrES 20 Nov 1996
We very much appreciate the remarks I heard you make in
your press conference that you had praise for the Australian
government and Successive Australian governments for the role
they now wish to play in removing from the American people and
the world that terrible obligation. Your praise for the role
of our government recently in the comprehensive test ban
arrangement was very welcome on all sides of politics herea as
is your commitment to ensuring that your people and the world
generally have that horror removed from them.
You have been man who has exercised leadership in this
region whose leadership we all count on. You go from here
with our Prime Minister to APEC the leadership component of
which you had so much to do with in initiating. That forum is
now broadening its wings from simply-a consideration of
economic matters, as critical as those are, to broader
regional considerations.
we have always sought American engagement in this region.
We have never always agreed with you on the things that you
have chosen to do in that time, but we have always sought it
because we have always believed that at the end of the day the
values we share are the same, Those values are decent human
values. Those values are egalitarian values that recognise the
rights of all people of all backgrounds. Those values are
values which at the end of the day ensure world peace and
Page 2Turn ## 4Page Tu# r# 146T. u1r5n-Time
rtax ' rom THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES20 Nov 1996
ensure decent living standards. So it is a privilege for me to
stand here today on behalf my party to welcome you.
tend speech Turn_ Time 16.15
280/ 11/ 96 19: 43 Pg: 8
Page 3Turn ## 4