Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence, I am sure I speak for all members of this House in congratulating the Conservative Party and the liberal party and Mr David Cameron on forming a government in the United Kingdom. I am sure that the marriage of Conservatives and liberals in the United Kingdom will be as long and as happy as it has been in this country.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, also on indulgence, it is right of course that the Leader of the Opposition congratulate his political colleague Mr Cameron on becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. All Australians have a deep affection for the UK. When I telephoned Mr Cameron this morning, I congratulated him on behalf of all Australians on becoming the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you going to leak the conversation?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The honourable member for Dickson!

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also said to him that the Australia-UK relationship is one which goes above and beyond party politics.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Did he get you off the phone?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

The member for Dickson then left the chamber.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said that the Australia-UK relationship is one which prospers and has prospered since we had Prime Ministers of different persuasions in our respective capitals way back to the time of the war. Mr Cameron indicated he would like to get down to Australia at some stage. We look forward to the foreign secretary in the making, William Hague, making his way to Australia as well. We do a lot with the British in Afghanistan and we do a lot with the British in the G20. This will be a good relationship between Australia and the UK, as it has been in the past and will be in the future. Can I conclude by paying my particular public respects to, of course, Gordon Brown. Gordon Brown has served as a distinguished Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as a staunch ally and defender of Australian interests as well. Can I say also that his role in chairing the G20 meeting in London in April of 2009 was a pivotal event in making sure that the global economic recession then did not slide into something much, much worse. He will go down as a person whose contribution at that critical time in all of our economic destinies was that of a true statesman. I thank the House.