Barack Obama to address Australian Parliament

US President Barack Obama will deliver an address to the Australian Parliament during his visit in November, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said yesterday.

Mr Obama will be Down Under on November 16 and 17 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Australia, New Zealand and US alliance, which underpins the security architecture of the southern Pacific.

He forged a close working relationship with Ms Gillard during her visit to the White House in March, when she addressed a joint session of Congress.

“Last month I wrote to President Obama to invite him to address the Parliament during his visit as well,” Ms Gillard told Parliament.

“I am pleased to advise the house that President Obama has accepted this invitation.”

Mr Obama’s visit will take place during a journey which will see him host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hawaii and join an East Asia summit in Bali.

He has twice had to cancel trips to Australia in 2010, once as his health care reform drive hit a critical point in Congress in March and again over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in June.