US President Barack Obama will be invited to address a joint sitting of the Australian Parliament in March, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
During the presidential visit, Mr Rudd is expecting the Australian public to greet Mr Obama more warmly than they did Mr Bush. Protesters demonstrating against the Iraq War targeted Mr Bush during his visit to Canberra in 2003.
Standing in the prime ministerial courtyard, Mr Rudd reminded reporters of comments his predecessor John Howard made in 2007 about Mr Obama, during his run for the Democratic party primaries. "
You'll certainly recall Mr Howard saying that the election of Mr Obama as the President of the United States would be a victory for well-known organisations," Mr Rudd said. "Time's moved on. The President is a respected friend of Australia."
Three years ago, Mr Howard said terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda, would be praying for a Democratic victory in the 2008 US presidential elections.
Mr Obama's trip to the Asia-Pacific will also include a visit to his childhood home of Indonesia. He was invited to make the trip by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and both sides have said they plan to use Mr Obama's childhood ties to the country to further tighten a crucial pan-Pacific relationship.
"This trip is an important part of the President's continuing effort to broaden and strengthen the partnerships that are necessary to advance our security and prosperity," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
The Greens welcomed the announcement, saying it is a good opportunity to talk about climate change. "We will anticipate President Obama's visit to Australia very keenly," deputy leader Christine Milne told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday. "It's
an opportunity ... to hear President Obama explain why the United States continues to be such a laggard on climate change."
The Greens stance is somewhat different to the one they took when Mr Bush jnr came to Australia. During the former president's speech to Parliament, Greens leader Bob Brown and his colleague Kerry Nettle were forcibly removed for protesting against the war in Iraq and the detention of Australian citizens in Guantanamo Bay.
Independent senator Nick Xenophon also welcomed the news, noting that presidential visits are a rare thing. "I think he'll probably get a warmer reception then the previous US president," he said.
More: http://www.smh.com.au/national/obama-invited-to-address-parliament-20100202-na56.html?autostart=1
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