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FM CANBERRA
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELNO 8
OF 07031OZ SEPTEMBER 90
INFO ROUTINE FCO, WELLINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
д
YOUR TELNO 9: VISIT TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
1 I WOULD MUCH WELCOME A VISIT BY YOU TO AUSTRALIA. IN ADDITION
·
TO SYDNEY AND CANBERRA YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER INCLUDING MELBOURNE
IN YOUR PROGRAMME. MELBOURNE RANKS WITH SYDNEY AS A MAJOR BUSINESS CENTRE.
2. AS FOR TIMING, WE HAVE SPOKEN INFORMALLY TO THE DFAT WHO SAY THEY CAN SEE NO REASON AT THIS STAGE WHY A VISIT IN MAY WOULD NOT BE CONVENIENT. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW MAY IS ALSO FINE. NO MINISTERIAL VISITS ARE PLANNED FOR THAT PERIOD. BY FAR THE BEST TIME TO VISIT CANBERRA IS WHEN PARLIAMENT IS SITTING. FEDERAL MINISTERS ARE THEN READILY AVAILABLE (WHEN IT IS NOT SITTING THEY CAN BE ANYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA OR ABROAD). MAY IS NORMALLY A BUSY MONTH FOR SITTINGS BUT WE SHALL NOT KNOW FOR SOME MONTHS YET EXACTLY WHEN PARLIAMENT WILL SIT. IF YOU CAN WAIT TILL THE NEW YEAR BEFORE GOING FIRM ON EXACT TIMINGS THAT WOULD BE BEST, IF NOT, I SUGGEST YOU PLAN FOR A VISIT IN THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY.
3 AN OUTLINE PROGRAMME FOR AUSTRALIA MIGHT BE AS FOLLOWS:
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
-
ARRIVE SYDNEY
FLY TO CANBERRA
IN CANBERRA
EARLY MORNING FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE
MORNING FLIGHT TO SYDNEY
FLY TO NEW ZEALAND
TUESDAY IS CABINET DAY IN CANBERRA AND BEST AVOIDED. AS YOU CAN SEE, ONE WEEK FOR COVERING AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND IS PRETTY TIGHT. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER EXTENDING YOUR TRIP TO ALLOW ONE WORKING WEEK IN AUSTRALIA, TRAVEL TO NEW ZEALAND OVER THE WEEKEND AND THEN BEGIN A PROGRAMME THERE IN THE FIRST TWO. DAYS OF THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
4.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU PLAN TO DELIVER SPEECHES IN BOTH MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY. IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT TO
1
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