Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Finance, Special Minister of State and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (12:03): I seek leave to make a brief statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator CORMANN: This is a very important motion, and I'm very grateful to all those senators who, in a spirit of bipartisanship right across the chamber, have supported this symbolic measure to mark what is our most important strategic and economic partnership and friendship. The United States of America is clearly a longstanding friend. We have fought together in battles for 100 years now and we have the strongest strategic and economic partnership and friendship imaginable. I think this motion, supported by both the government and the opposition and by many senators on the crossbench, is an appropriate recognition and marking of a very important occasion. Question agreed to.