Official Visit to Canada of the Honourable Paul Calvert, Senator, President of the Senate of Australia

From July 23 to 28, 2006, Senator the Honourable Paul Calvert, President of the Senate of Australia, visited Fredericton, New Brunswick and Ottawa at the invitation of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate.

In Fredericton, President Calvert met with the following people:

• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Michael Malley, Speaker of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly;  and
• Dr. John McLaughlin, President of the University of New Brunswick.

President Calvert also visited the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Canadian Forces Base in Gagetown and met with members of the Australian community. At two ceremonies organized by the Royal Canadian Legion, President Calvert laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and at Carleton and York Regiment Memorial.

In Ottawa, President Calvert met with:

• The Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons;
• Mr. Paul C. Bélisle, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of Parliaments;  and
• Ms. Audrey O’Brien, Clerk of the House of Commons.

President Calvert visited the Canadian War Museum and Gatineau Park during his stay in Ottawa.

The discussions in Fredericton highlighted the many similarities between New Brunswick and Tasmania. At the University of New Brunswick, there was discussion of further developing exchanges between the University of New Brunswick and the University of Tasmania. At the Canadian Forces Base in Gagetown, President Calvert was given an overview of the operations of the base and of the exchanges between Australian and Canadian forces. With Speaker Milliken, President Calvert discussed the status and promotion of the activities of the Canada-Australia-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group.