E&OE..................
Well thank you very much John, my colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. Before saying anything about this building can I say John how delighted we all are to see you back on deck. I am sure everybody will agree that rugby league players are made of very tough teak and it';s terrific to have you back.
This building is one of the more gracious office buildings that the Commonwealth or indeed any government has in Australia. It was I think the first purpose built federal building and its refurbishment out, partly out of the funds of the Federation Fund completes a pattern of restoration of heritage buildings in Treasury Place. The idea of the refurbishment I think was jointly cooked up between the former Victorian government and our government and we didn';t take much persuading that the office did need a bit of refurbishment and I think the money has been well spent. It will provide accomodation for myself when I am in Melbourne, two former governors-general, Sir Zelman Cowan and Sir Ninian Stephen, both of whom are with us today, Victorian based members of the Federal Ministry, visiting ministers and also adequate facilities for the Leader of the Opposition and for the Shadow Ministry.
John has already alluded to the rich history of this building and we only need to remind ourselves of everything that went on in Melbourne prior to 1927 and the opening of the temporary Parliament House in Canberra to reinforce the central role that this building would have played in the Commonwealth Government in its early years. I have to say having sampled Commonwealth buildings in various parts of the country and prime ministerial offices in various parts of the country, the view of the Treasury Gardens is unsurpassed. So from - although I';ve got to say, looking at Daryl Williams, that view out of the Commonwealth Building over the Swan River';s not to bad in Western Australia, but you';re so high up there';s a surreal quality about it that doesn';t apply here. But it is a beautifully located building and the restoration work, and I want to thank the architects and the project designers, the people from the Department of Finance and Administration and from my own department and all of the others that have been responsible. I think you have all done a first class job in having it essentially ready for occupancy and use this very special week in Melbourne is something we appreciate very much.
So particularly my thanks are directed to all of those people who have been responsible, we do appreciate that. I think the ambience of the building now is greatly improved, it certainly did need a bit of a facelift. I think the office that I previously occupied or the previous condition of it was a mixture of what you might call late Whitlam and early Fraser as far as the period was concerned. I don';t think very much had changed as far as the carpet or anything else since then and I want to thank everybody associated with it and I declare the building officially, not only refurbished, but open for good government in the interests of the people of the Commonwealth of Australia. Thank you.
[Ends]