03.37 pm, Wednesday May 23 2012

Obama to address parliament next Friday

17:46 AEDT Thu Mar 18 2010
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US President Barack Obama
MPs may get the chance to have lunch with US President Barack Obama during his visit to Australia.

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MPs may get the chance to have lunch with US President Barack Obama during his whistlestop visit to Australia.

Mr Obama is expected to arrive in Canberra late next Thursday, after visiting Indonesia.

On Friday he will meet with the Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Mr Obama will then be asked to address a joint sitting of parliament.

Leader of Government Business Anthony Albanese has informed the lower house that a luncheon may also take place, depending on time constraints.

The constraints are the result of delays to his planned visit to the region due to troubles surrounding his landmark healthcare reforms.

Mr Obama has decided to remain in Washington DC until Sunday to help push the bill through.

As a result he will spend less than 24 hours in Australia and visit only Canberra, and his wife Michelle and two daughters, Malia and Sasha, will stay home.

Mr Albanese said the arrangements were out of Australia's control.

"The arrangements...will be impacted on by events...occurring in another parliamentary chamber, that is the United States," he said.

The exact timing of the speech is yet to be finalised, but Mr Albanese said parliament would be adjourned immediately after the address.

 

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