Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces troop boost for floods

Prime Minister Julia Gillard (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Jan 14, 2011 (KATAKAMI / SBS.COM.AU) — The number of defence force personnel involved in the Queensland flood operation will be doubled to 1200, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

“This will be the biggest deployment for a natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy,” Ms Gillard said at Amberley air base west of Brisbane on Friday.

Ms Gillard said, after talks with Defence Minister Stephen Smith and military chiefs, “Now is the right time to dramatically increase the number of defence personnel who are working in Queensland to assist with the Queensland floods.”

The prime minister on Friday spoke with ADF personnel at the air base, ahead of a visit to the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.

“It’s so important at this time that townships that have been isolated can still get vital supplies,” she said. (*)

Australia PM pledges financial help for flood-hit Queensland

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard flies in a Black Hawk helicopter as she views flooding near the northern Australian city of Rockhampton, in this January 8, 2011 handout photograph. Gillard pledged financial support for Australia's flood-hit northeast on Saturday during a tour of the most heavily inundated parts of Queensland state, but warned the recovery would be slow. REUTERS/Australian Department of Defence/Handout

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SYDNEY, Jan 08 (KATAKAMI / Reuters) – Prime Minister Julia Gillard pledged financial support for Australia’s flood-hit northeast on Saturday during a tour of the most heavily inundated parts of Queensland state, but warned the recovery would be slow.

In a series of visits by military helicopter, Gillard went to towns whose streets have been turned into waterways by a Christmas deluge that left an area the size of France and Germany combined under water.

The floods have swamped coal mines and hit agriculture hard, washed away roads and railways, killed four, and brought the country’s $50 billion coal export industry to a near standstill.

Some river levels have hit records and some are still rising with further rain forecast for this weekend. Months more wet weather is predicted, brought by the La Nina weather phenomenon.

“The scale of the floodwaters, the sheer size of this is best appreciated from the air and we are talking about huge areas, lots of water, a lot of it still very fast moving and so it’s going to be a long time back,” Gillard told a news conference in the flooded town of Rockhampton, 600 km (370 miles) north of the state capital Brisbane.

Asked how much it would cost Australia’s federal government, she said: “I’ve been very clear that we are talking about hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes, and in many towns locals and relief workers have taken to getting around the streets in boats. Authorities say around 200,000 people have been affected.

Gillard pledged funding to help improve flood protection for Rockhampton, a town of around 75,000 situated near the mouth of the Fitzroy River which peaked at 9.2 meters on Wednesday. On Saturday, it was still at 9.15 meters and predicted to stay above 8.5 meters until next Friday.

Rendering some highways flood-proof would be a priority, she said, after the state’s major rail and road links were seriously disrupted and in some cases washed away.

Earlier in the flooded town of St George, 450 km (270 miles) west of the state capital Brisbane, Gillard said A$4 million ($4 million) in emergency payments had already been paid and more was on the way to help “families who are doing it tough.”

Gillard pledged to work with state Premier Anna Bligh to “help Queensland through.” The Balonne River in St George was forecast to peak at near 13.4 meters over the weekend.

On Saturday a fourth person was confirmed dead in the latest flooding, a 55-year-old truck driver whose truck veered off a road while transporting water to the inundated town of Condamine. The scale of the disaster has prompted fears of disease in the largely tropical areas affected, and in some areas drinking water has been in short supply.

Flood warnings were still current on Saturday for more than 10 rivers in Queensland. Up to 200 mm of rain was forecast in some areas over the weekend, but forecasters said the worst would likely spare the areas most heavily affected by the floods.

The man tasked with overseeing the recovery, Major General Mick Slater, has warned it is likely to take years and said the damage cannot be properly assessed until the waters recede. While traveling with Gillard on Saturday, he said the crisis was “not over yet.”   (*)

Photostream : New Year's Eve celebrations in Australia

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year January 1, 2011. Local authorities planned for over 1.5 million people to crowd the Sydney Harbour foreshore and welcome in the new year under the massive fireworks display. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne

The sky above the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city center lights up at midnight during the fireworks display to celebrate the New Years Day in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

A curtain of fireworks cascades over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the 9 pm fireworks display on new years eve in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 31: Fireworks explode at Circular Quay during the preliminary 9pm session on December 31, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

The sky above the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city center lights up at midnight during the fireworks display to celebrate the New Years Day in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Creating jobs a big challenge, says PM Julia Gillard

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

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January 1st, 2011 (KATAKAMI / THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD) --- IN THEIR new year messages the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, have voiced optimism for the year, and have reminded voters of their differences.

''As I look forward to 2011, I do see some challenges for our country,'' Ms Gillard said.

''Like creating jobs in a strong economy, giving every child a great start in life at school, tackling climate change and persevering in our mission in Afghanistan.''

Mr Abbott said: ''We should be optimistic about our future as long as we don't forget those among us who are doing it tough.

''I hope 2011 will be a year of lower taxes, fairer welfare, better services and stronger borders and I'll be talking to the Australian people about how best to achieve these important goals.''

Exhorting the population to work hard to keep Australia a ''lucky'' country, Ms Gillard said Australians should look forward to a future as a fair and prosperous nation.

''As the fireworks fade and the cricket moves from Melbourne to Sydney, I'm proud to be Australian and excited about the year ahead.''

Mr Abbott promised he would do his best to protect Australian families from added burdens on their cost of living.

''I hope this year we will count our blessings and strive to be worthy of all of the advantages that go with being Australian.''

Ms Gillard said: ''I hope you enjoy the rest of your break, and come back full of energy and excitement - but not too soon. Happy new year.''  (*)

Australian Prime Minister warns asylum boat toll to rise in grim hunt

A boat full of refugees is smashed by violent seas off Australia's Christmas Island, as shown in this Channel 7 TV frame grab of a photo released by The West Australian. Hope dwindled for survivors of a refugee boat wreck off Australia Thursday which killed at least 28 people, including seven children. (AFP/The West Australian)

SYDNEY (KATAKAMI / AFP) – Hope dwindled for survivors of a refugee boat wreck off Australia Thursday which killed at least 28 people, including seven children, renewing debate on the plight of boat people travelling from Asia.

The wooden craft, crowded with up to 100 Iraqi, Kurdish and Iranian asylum seekers and their children, hit rocks at remote Christmas Island Wednesday and was shattered by huge waves as residents watched in horror.

Traumatised survivors pulled from the sea after the disaster huddled in a hospital and reception centre Thursday, with the most seriously injured flown to Perth as hope faded of finding their fellow passengers alive in wild seas.

"We have got to prepare ourselves for the likelihood that more bodies will be found and there has been further loss of life than we know now," warned Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who cut short her holiday to respond to the emergency.

Cyclonic conditions hampered search and rescue efforts which resumed at first light but yielded no further bodies or survivors by late Thursday, Customs said.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said 28 bodies had been recovered, including four infants, three children and nine women, underscoring "the tragedy that's occurred here".

Among the 42 survivors were eight children, one unaccompanied minor and three Indonesian crew, he added.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen earlier said there had been between 70 and 100 people on board the leaky fishing boat, according to survivors, adding that the exact number of dead would "probably never" be known.
Medical personnel believe as many as 50 people may have perished on the jagged limestone outcrop, some 2,600 kilometres from Australia's mainland.

FILE : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

  "Yesterday we saw a truly horrific event, a terrible human tragedy on what is a very dangerous coastline at Christmas Island," said Gillard.

"I know the nation is shocked by what we have seen."

Gillard was forced to defend border police as questions mounted about how the boat managed to cross the most closely-watched people-smuggling corridor between Indonesia and Australia without being intercepted.

The prime minister said the boat had approached the island in predawn darkness and "extreme weather conditions" meant it was not detected "until seen from Christmas Island itself".

"In very rough and dangerous seas there is a limit to what can be achieved through radar and other surveillance mechanisms," Gillard said, adding there would be a criminal investigation as well as a coroner's probe.
Officials could not comment on the vessel's origin and said it was not being tracked because it was made of wood and was hard to detect.

Local police said they had received an emergency call from someone claiming to be on a boat with about 80 people -- believed to be the stricken vessel -- about 20 minutes after it was first sighted as it drifted after losing power.

Residents said they were woken at dawn Wednesday by the screams of victims, gathering life jackets and rushing to the cliffs to offer help, but were helpless as strong winds blew the flotation devices back onshore.
They watched in horror as the victims were crushed against limestone rocks, despite the efforts of navy rescuers to reach them in towering swells.

More than 5,000 asylum seekers from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have made their way to Australia this year, mostly on unseaworthy vessels from Indonesia, prompting criticism of Canberra for softening its refugee policy.


But lawyers and refugee advocates including Amnesty and the UNHCR said the tragedy highlighted the desperate plight of refugees and urged greater cooperation between nations for more humane solutions.
Survivors of the wreck were recovering Thursday in a hospital and a reception centre on Christmas Island, the site of Australia's main immigration detention centre for boat people.

Five seriously injured people were flown to the mainland for medical treatment.

Though they would be dealt with under normal immigration processes, Gillard said survivors would be given time to recover from their ordeal, and said the children and families would be allowed to live in the community instead of detention camps.

(*)

Photostream : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Seoul

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, greets Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard before their meeting on the sideline of the G20 summit in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) meets with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as part of the G20 Summit in Seoul, November 11, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin )

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, meets with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the sideline of the G20 summit in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010. (Getty Images /AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) meets Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard as part of the G20 Summit in Seoul, November 11, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin )

Photostream : U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (R) walk along the Yarra River on their way to lunch at Melbourne's Federation Square on November 7, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. Secretary Clinton travelled to Melbourne with U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates to participate in the annual Australia-U.S. ministerial meetings. The meetings were originally scheduled for January 2010 but were postponed so Secretary Clinton could help organise U.S. relief efforts following the Haiti earthquake. (Photo by William West - Pool/Getty Images)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (centre L) and Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (centre R) walk along the Yarra River on the way to lunch at Melbourne's Federation Square on November 7, 2010. Australia is the final country on an Asia Pacific tour that has taken Clinton to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Cambodia, China and Vietnam. AFP PHOTO/POOL/William WEST (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, walks to lunch with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010, in Melbourne, Australia. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures during an event on clean energy and green technology Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, speaks as Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard listens during a joint press conference at the Pixel Building in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. (Getty Images /AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill, Pool)

Australia : Clinton arrives for defence talks

Hillary Clinton was welcomed on the tarmac by Kevin Rudd. (AAP: Mal Fairclough)

November 06, 2010 (KATAKAMI / ABC.NET.AU) --- Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has greeted US secretary of state Hillary Clinton as she arrived in Melbourne for a two-day visit.

Ms Clinton touched down at a section of Melbourne Airport that was cordoned off by police and US diplomatic agents.

She was welcomed on the tarmac by Mr Rudd and Australia's ambassador to the US, Kim Beazley.
"It's great to have the secretary of state with us in Australia," Mr Rudd said.

"She is a very welcome guest for these AUSMIN talks here in Melbourne. It's the first time we've had Ausmin in Melbourne - it's a great city, a great day and it's great that the secretary of state is going to see this wonderful city."

Ms Clinton is on a two-week tour through the Asia-Pacific region. Her visit is part of the annual talks between the Australian foreign and defence ministers and the US secretaries of state and defence.
This afternoon she will hold her first official meeting with Mr Rudd and the pair will dine together tonight.
Mr Rudd says he is keen to give the United States greater access to Australian defence bases and confirmed both countries are interested in closer cooperation between their defence forces.

"We in Australia have an interest in ensuring we have continued and increased use of Australian ports, facilities and training facilities and test-firing ranges by the armed forces of the United States," he said.
Tomorrow Ms Clinton will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The pair met briefly at last month's East Asia Summit in Vietnam.

On Monday Ms Clinton and US defence secretary Robert Gates will meet their Australian counterparts for talks on issues including Afghanistan and security in the Asia Pacific region.

Ms Gillard says America's force posture review - an official investigation into the geographical and strategic placement of US forces around the world - will be at the top of the agenda in her talks with Ms Clinton.

"We anticipate that that will give rise to a process of discussion about how that force posture review has implications for Australia," she said.

"[It] could have implications in future joint exercises; it could have implications in future sharing of joint facilities."

Also on Sunday, Ms Clinton will front an hour-long forum to respond to questions submitted via video link, and online on Facebook and Twitter, as well as take questions from an audience of people under the age of 35.

The town-hall style event in Melbourne will be hosted by Lateline's Leigh Sales and broadcast on the ABC. Questions can be posted on ABC News's Facebook page or on Twitter with the hashtag #hillaryoz.
Ms Clinton was due to visit Australia in January this year, but postponed her trip because of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti.

Meanwhile, Ms Clinton has ruled out running for president in 2012 or 2016, saying the United States should be ready for a woman president but it would not be her.


In interviews in New Zealand, the failed 2008 presidential candidate made clear she had no plans to run again despite talk - fueled partly by her fellow Democrats' losses in Tuesday's US mid-term elections - she might embark on a new race.

Asked by TV3 New Zealand whether she ruled out standing for the top US office through 2016, Ms Clinton, according to a US reporter, replied: "Oh yes, yes. I'm very pleased to be doing what I'm doing as secretary of state."

(MS)

Clinton heads to Melbourne

First official visit: Hillary Clinton (AFP: Saul Loeb, file photo)

November 06, 2010 (KATAKAMI / ABC.NET.AU) --- Hillary Clinton will arrive in Australia later today on her first official visit since becoming the United States secretary of state.

Ms Clinton is on a two-week tour through the Asia-Pacific region and today will fly into Melbourne.
Her visit is part of the annual talks between the Australian foreign and defence ministers and the US secretaries of state and defence.

Those talks will take place on Monday and will focus on regional and global security issues, including the war in Afghanistan.

Tomorrow, Ms Clinton will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The pair met briefly at last month's East Asia Summit in Vietnam.

Ms Clinton was due to visit Australia in January this year, but postponed her trip because of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti.

Meanwhile, Ms Clinton has ruled out running for president in 2012 or 2016, saying the United States should be ready for a woman president but it would not be her.

In interviews in New Zealand, the failed 2008 presidential candidate made clear she had no plans to run again despite talk - fueled partly by her fellow Democrats' losses in Tuesday's US mid-term elections - she might embark on a new race.

Asked by TV3 New Zealand whether she ruled out standing for the top US office through 2016, Ms Clinton, according to a US reporter, replied: "Oh yes, yes. I'm very pleased to be doing what I'm doing as secretary of state."

(MS)

Photostream : Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets Indonesian President Yudhoyono

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard inspects a guard of honour at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during her official visit to Indonesia November 2, 2010. REUTERS/Supri (INDONESIA)

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, left, walks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono prior to their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday. (AP/Dita Alangkara/Jakarta Post)

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, left, walks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono prior to their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) walks with Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during her state visit to Indonesia November 2, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni )

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) is invited to inspect the guard of honour by Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during her state visit to Indonesia November 2, 2010. (Getty Images / REUTERS/Supri )

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, left, shakes hands with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono prior to their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. (Getty Images / AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

President Yudhoyono to visit Merapi victims after meeting with Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) shake hands with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (R) on arrival at Jakarta airport on November 1, 2010. Gillard will be meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on November 2. AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD (Photo by ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images)

November 02, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA POST) --- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to fly to Yogyakarta later today to meet people displaced by Mt. Merapi multiple eruptions in the past few days.

The President is slated to fly to Yogyakarta at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, after meeting with visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Tempointeraktif.com reported Tuesday.

Yudhoyono earlier said that he had contacted governors of Yogyakarta and West Java, to make sure that people displaced by the eruption are taken care of.

"I ordered (the two governors) to try their best to save the lives of our brothers and sisters around Mt. Merapi," he said.

He also called on the people to improve their preparedness in the face of multiple disasters, considering that Indonesia is prone to natural disasters.

"We have to change the way we see disasters in this country. Our country is prone to natural disasters such as earthquake, tsunami and volcano eruption. When we are aware of our geography, we have to do whatever we can do for our survival to face these disasters," he said.

Yudhoyono cut short his visit to Vietnam and returned home to visit victims of tsunami disaster in West Sumatra last weekend, and flew back to Vietnam to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

(MS)

Australia, Malaysia to Push Forward Free Trade Agreement

Malaysian deputy premier Muhyiuddin Yassin (R) shows a view of the administrative capital Putrajaya to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard from the prime minister's office on November 1, 2010. Gillard arrived here on a two-day official visit to hold talks with the Malaysian high officials on bilateral and international issues. AFP PHOTO / Saeed Khan (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

November 01, 2010 (KATAKAMI / VOA) --- Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on a visit to Malaysia that the two countries hope to reach a free trade deal next year.

Ms. Gillard met Monday with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, standing in for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is ill with chickenpox.

Muhyiddin told reporters that he hoped the trade agreement would move forward next year and be signed as soon as possible.

Ms. Gillard also called for a center to be set up in East Timor to process refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, who use Malaysia as a transit point to Australia.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia needs more information before coming up with an official position on the processing centers.

Ms. Gillard is on her first regional tour since becoming Australia’s first female prime minister earlier this year. She began her tour by attending the 16-nation East Asia Summit in Vietnam Saturday and was to travel on to Indonesia later Monday.

Some information in this story was provided by AP and AFP.

Chinese, Australian PMs promise to strengthen ties

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010, on the sidelines of a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

October 30, 2010 (KATAKAMI / PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE) --- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard promised in Hanoi Saturday that they would make concerted efforts to further promote bilateral relations.

The two met on Saturday morning at the hotel where Wen is staying. They are both here to attend a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners.

Wen said Australia is a big country in the Asia-Pacific region and the smooth development and promotion of bilateral ties between Australia and China benefit both countries and their peoples.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st R) meets with his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard (1st L) in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2010, on the sidelines of a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

"I am very glad to take advantage of this opportunity to exchange views with you on bilateral relations and issues of common concern," Wen said.

Gillard said that she was very delighted to meet with Premier Wen. She was content with the development of bilateral ties and would try to further promote this friendship.

Wen arrived here Thursday afternoon to attend the summits between ASEAN and its partners. On the sidelines of the meetings, Wen has met with leaders of some countries and exchanged views with them on bilateral relations.

Source:Xinhua

Hillary 'excited' about Australia trip

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) walks with Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the sidelines of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia summits in Hanoi on October 30, 2010. Clinton said that maritime rows should be settled by international law, in defiance of China's call to handle them directly with its neighbours. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images)

October 30, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE AGE.COM.AU ) --- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told Prime Minister Julia Gillard she cannot wait to visit Australia next week.

Mrs Clinton met Ms Gillard on the sidelines of the 16-nation East Asia Summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Saturday.

The pair spoke briefly and posed for the cameras as they left a VIP lunch.

Asked if she was looking forward to her visit to Australia, Mrs Clinton said: "Very much.

"I cannot wait to get there.

"I was just telling the prime minister how excited I am."

Before parting ways, the pair shared a kiss and Mrs Clinton said: "It'll be fun."

"I will make it fun," Ms Gillard replied.

Mrs Clinton and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates will be in Australia from November 6 to 8 for the 25th AUSMIN talks.

They will meet Ms Gillard, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith to discuss regional and global issues.

It will be Mrs Clinton's first visit to Australia since she was appointed secretary of state in 2008.

(MS)

PM Julia Gillard to visit Malaysia, Indonesia

October 22, 2010 (KATAKAMI / ABC.NET.AU) --- Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced she will make official visits to Malaysia and Indonesia later this month, after her already-planned attendance at the East Asia Summit in Vietnam.

Ms Gillard has announced she will hold talks with Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur during an official visit to the country on October 31 and November 1.
She will then travel to Indonesia at the invitation of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for formal meetings on November 1 and 2.

Both countries are critical to some of the key issues facing Ms Gillard, including counter-terrorism and people smuggling, as well as environmental and trade issues.

The trip to Indonesia follows Mr Yudhoyono's trip to Australia in March this year and a joint commitment that Australian and Indonesian leaders would meet annually.

Ms Gillard will also attend the East Asia summit in Hanoi, including the inaugural ASEAN-Australia leaders summit.