Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

In his meeting with President Obama the Prime Minister discussed a broad range of matters, including international and regional security issues and trade and economic issues, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, where trade minister Andrew Robb is doing such great work. They discussed the G20, and they discussed climate change. At the press conference following their meeting, President Obama said, 'We don't have a better friend in the world, as well as the Asia-Pacific region, than Australia'. Therefore, it was deeply disappointing to note that the success of the visit has caused obvious dismay among the ranks of the opposition, who were seeking to actively undermine the Prime Minister's visit and who were predicting conflict between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States. Labor was publicly wishing and hoping for the meeting between the two leaders to fail. That is tantamount to actively undermining Australia's national interest, because there is no more important personal relationship for this nation than the one between the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of the United States. Labor was desperately hoping that the cause of this confected conflict would be climate change, should it be raised. What hypocrites. I recall a meeting in 2007 when US President Bush visited Australia and met with then Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

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