Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia in Joint Press Conference

Parliament House
Canberra, Australia

6:10 P.M. AEST

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Good evening, one and all.  I take this opportunity to very warmly welcome President Obama to Australia for his first visit as President.  President Obama is no stranger to our shores, having visited Australia before.  But it is a special delight to have him here for his first visit as President.  And it comes at an important time in our nation's history and in the history of our region.

We will be looking back during this visit -- we'll be looking back at 60 years of the ANZUS alliance.  We'll be looking back 10 years to the dreadful day of 9/11, a day we all remember with great sorrow.  And we will be reflecting on those events.  But we will be looking forward. 

We live in the growing region of the world where its global -- contribution to global growth is a profound one.  We live in a region which is changing, changing in important ways.  And as a result of those changes, President Obama and I have been discussing the best way of our militaries cooperating for the future.

So I'm very pleased to be able to announce with President Obama that we've agreed joint initiatives to enhance our alliance -- 60 years old and being kept robust for tomorrow.  It is a new agreement to expand the existing collaboration between the Australian Defence Force and the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force.  What this means in very practical detail is from mid-2012, Australia will welcome deployments of a company-size rotation of 200 to 250 Marines in the Northern Territory for around six months at a time.

Over a number of years, we intend to build on this relationship in a staged way to a full force of around 2,500 personnel -- that is a four Marine Air Ground Task Force.

A second component of these initiatives which we have agreed is greater access by U.S. military aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force facilities in our country’s north.  This will involve more frequent movements of U.S. military aircraft into and out of northern Australia.  Now, taken together, these two initiatives make our alliance stronger, they strengthen our cooperation in our region. 

We are a region that is growing economically.  But stability is important for economic growth, too.  And our alliance has been a bedrock of stability in our region.  So building on our alliance through this new initiative is about stability.  It will be good for our Australian Defence Force to increase their capabilities by joint training, combined training, with the U.S. Marines and personnel.  It will mean that we are postured to better respond together, along with other partners in the Asia Pacific, to any regional contingency, including the provision of humanitarian assistance and dealing with natural disasters.

In addition to discussing this global force posture review by the United States and these new initiatives in our alliance, the President of the United States and I have had an opportunity to reflect on a number of other issues -- to reflect on circumstances in the global economy; to reflect on a clean energy future for our nations and for our planet; to reflect on the forthcoming East Asia Summit.  President Obama will proceed from Australia to that summit in Indonesia, where he spent time growing up.

We’ve had a comprehensive discussion.  I very much welcome President Obama to Australia.  I think he’s already seen that the welcome he’s getting from Australians, including Australian schoolchildren, is a very warm one.  And I know that that is going to be sustained during tonight’s events and the events of tomorrow.

President Obama, over to you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good day, everybody.  And thank you, Madam Prime Minister, for your generous welcome, your friendship and your partnership.  I am thrilled to be Down Under. 

As you may know, this is not my first visit to Australia.  In fact, I first visited Australia as a boy.  And I’ve never forgotten the warmth and kindness that the Australian people extended to me when I was six and eight.  And I can see that the Australian people have lost none of that warmth.

I very much wanted to take this trip last year, and although events back home prevented me from doing so, I was determined to come for a simple reason:  The United States of America has no stronger ally than Australia.  We are bound by common values, the rights and the freedoms that we cherish.  And for nearly a century, we’ve stood together in defense of these freedoms.  And I'm very happy to be here as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our alliance, and as we work together to strengthen it for the future. 

We are two Pacific nations, and with my visit to the region I am making it clear that the United States is stepping up its commitment to the entire Asia Pacific.  In this work, we're deeply grateful for our alliance with Australia and the leadership role that it plays.  As it has been for six decades, our alliance is going to be indispensable to our shared future, the security we need and the prosperity that we seek not only in this region but around the world.

I'm also very grateful for my partnership with Prime Minister Gillard.  We've worked quite a bit together lately --

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  You bet.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  -- spanning time zones -- the G20 in Cannes, APEC, and TPP in Hawaii, now here in Australia, and next onto Bali for the East Asia Summit.  And this speaks to how closely our countries work together on a wide range of issues.  And in my friend, Julia, I see the quality that we Americans admire most in our Australian friends:  somebody who's down to earth, easy to talk to, and who says it like it is -- straight up.  And that's why we achieved so much today. 

We agreed to push ahead with our efforts to create jobs for our people by bringing our economies and those of the region even closer together.  Building on our progress at APEC, we're going to keep striving for a seamless regional economy.  And as the two largest economies in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Australia and the United States are helping to lead the way to a new model for trade across the region.  And along with our G20 partners, we agreed that we have to stay focused on the growth that creates jobs, and that every nation needs to play by the same economic rules of the road.

As two global partners, we discussed the whole range of challenges where we stand shoulder to shoulder, including Afghanistan.  Obviously, this has not been an easy mission for either of our countries, and our hearts go out to the families that were affected on October 29th.  But we both understand what's at stake -- what happens when al Qaeda has safe havens.  We've seen the awful loss of life -- from 9/11 to Bali.

So I thanked the Prime Minister for Australia's strong commitment to this mission.  I salute the extraordinary sacrifices of our forces who serve together, including your Australian troops who've shown that no job is too tough for your "Diggers."  Today, the Prime Minister and I reaffirmed the way forward.  The transition has begun.  Afghans are stepping into the lead.  As they do, our troops -- American and Australian -- will draw down responsibly together so that we preserve the progress that we've made, and by 2014, Afghans will take full responsibility for security in their country.

But our focus today, as the Prime Minister said, was on preparing our alliance for the future.  And so I am very pleased that we are able to make these announcements here together on Australian soil.  Because of these initiatives that are the result of our countries working very closely together as partners, we're going to be in a position to more effectively strengthen the security of both of our nations and this region. 

As Julia described, we are increasing our cooperation -- and I'd add, America's commitment to this region.  Our U.S. Marines will begin rotating through Darwin for joint training and exercises.  Our Air Force will rotate additional aircraft through more airfields in Northern Australia.  And these rotations, which are going to be taking place on Australian bases, will bring our militaries even closer and make them even more effective.  We'll enhance our ability to train, exercise, and operate with allies and partners across the region, and that, in turn, will allow us to work with these nations to respond even faster to a wide range of challenges, including humanitarian crises and disaster relief, as well as promoting security cooperation across the region.

And this commitment builds upon the best traditions of our alliance.  For decades, Australians have welcomed our service members as they've come here to work, train, and exercise together.  And I'm looking forward to joining the Prime Minister in Darwin tomorrow to thank our troops -- Australians and Americans -- for the incredible work that they are doing.

Finally, as I'll discuss more in my speech to Parliament tomorrow, this deepening of our alliance sends a clear message of our commitment to this region, a commitment that is enduring and unwavering.  It's a commitment that I'll reaffirm in Bali as the United States joins the East Asia Summit.  And I want to thank our Australian friends who supported our membership so strongly and have worked to make sure that the EAS addresses regional challenges that affect all of us like proliferation and maritime security.

So, again, I'm very pleased that we're able to make these important announcements during my visit.  Madam Prime Minister, I thank you for being such a strong partner and a champion of our alliance. 

And once again, I want to thank the Australian people for the kindness they showed me about 40 years ago, and the kindness that they're showing me during my visit today.  It's that friendship and that solidarity that makes and keeps our alliance one of the strongest in the world.

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Thank you.

We'll turn to taking some questions.  I think we'll probably take one from the Australian media first.  Phil Hudson.

Q    Philip Hudson from the Melbourne Herald Sun.  Mr. President, welcome back to Australia.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much.

Q    You and Prime Minister Gillard have outlined what is for us a significant new U.S. troop buildup.  How much of this is because you're (inaudible) of China?  And as of today's deal, U.S. Marines will be for the first time conducting exercises by themselves on Australian soil.  Why is that, and what will they be doing? 

And, Mr. President, you also mentioned in your remarks that Afghanistan is not an easy mission.  In the past few months there have been three cases for Australia where our troops have been shot at by the Afghan soldiers who have been training and, sadly, four of our soldiers have died and many others have been injured. Australian public opinion is strongly against our involvement continuing.  You've outlined the -- just then, the drawdown.  What can you say to the Australian people who don't want to wait, who want to leave immediately? 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first, with respect to these new initiatives, this rotational deployment is significant because what it allows us to do is to not only build capacity and cooperation between our two countries, but it also allows us to meet the demands of a lot of partners in the region that want to feel that they're getting the training, they're getting the exercises, and that we have the presence that's necessary to maintain the security architecture in the region.

And so, as Julia mentioned, this is a region that’s becoming increasingly important.  The economy in this area is going to be the engine for world economic growth for some time to come.  The lines of commerce and trade are constantly expanding.  And it’s appropriate then for us to make sure that not only our alliance but the security architecture of the region is updated for the 21st century, and this initiative is going to allow us to do that.

It also allows us to respond to a whole host of challenges, like humanitarian or disaster relief, that, frankly, given how large the Asia Pacific region is, it can sometimes be difficult to do, and this will allow us to be able to respond in a more timely fashion and also equip a lot of countries, smaller countries who may not have the same capacity, it allows us to equip them so that they can respond more quickly as well.

And I guess the last part of your question, with respect to China, I’ve said repeatedly and I will say again today that we welcome a rising, peaceful China.  What they’ve been able to achieve in terms of lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the last two decades has been nothing short of remarkable.  And that is good not just for China, but it’s potentially good for the region.  And I know Australia’s economy, obviously, has benefitted by the increased demand that you’re seeing in China.

The main message that I’ve said not only publicly but also privately to the Chinese is that with their rise comes increased responsibilities.  It’s important for them to play by the rules of the road and, in fact, help underwrite the rules that have allowed so much remarkable economic progress to be made over the last several decades.  And that’s going to be true on a whole host of issues.

So where China is playing by those rules, recognizing its new role, I think this is a win-win situation.  There are going to be times where they’re not, and we will send a clear message to them that we think that they need to be on track in terms of accepting the rules and responsibilities that come with being a world power.

With respect to Afghanistan, the impact of any loss of life among our troops is heartbreaking.  And obviously, as President of the United States, there's no greater responsibility and nothing more difficult than putting our troops in harm’s way.  I think Prime Minister Gillard feels the same way that I do, which is we would not be sending our young men and women into harm’s way unless we thought it was absolutely necessary for the security of our country.

What we have established is a transition process that allows Afghans to build up their capacity and take on a greater security role over the next two years.  But it’s important that we do it right.  As some of you are aware, I just announced that all remaining troops in Iraq will be removed.  It would have been tempting, given that I have been opposed to the Iraq war from the start, when I came into office, to say, we’re going to get you all out right away.  But what I recognized was that if we weren’t thoughtful about how we proceed, then the enormous sacrifices that had been made by our men and women in the previous years might be for naught.

And what I’d say to the Australian people at this point is, given the enormous investment that’s been made and the signs that we can, in fact, leave behind a country that’s not perfect, but one that is more stable, more secure, and does not provide safe haven for terrorists, it's appropriate for us to finish the job and do it right.

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  If I could just add to that and say, every time I have met President Obama and we've talked about our alliance, we've talked about our work in Afghanistan, and in our meetings, both formal and informal, the President has shown the greatest possible concern for our troops in the field.  The meetings we've had over the last few weeks at various international events have coincided with some of the most bitter and difficult news that we've had from Afghanistan, and every step of the way the President has gone out of his way to convey to me his condolences for the Australian people and particularly for the families that have suffered such a grievous loss.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Laura MacInnis, Reuters.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Chancellor Merkel said this week that Europe is in its toughest hour since World War II.  Markets are now showing some anxiety about the possibility of instability spreading to France as well.  Are you worried that the steps European leaders are taking are too incremental so far? Do you think something bolder or a more difficult set of decisions need to be taken to fully (inaudible) that crisis? 

I have a question for Prime Minister Gillard as well.  Are you concerned that the fiscal pressures the United States is under at the moment may compromise its ability to sustain its plans for the region, including the initiatives announced today? Do you have to take those with something of a grain of salt until the super committee process is concluded?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  With respect to Europe, I'm deeply concerned, have been deeply concerned, I suspect we'll be deeply concerned tomorrow and next week and the week after that.  Until we put in place a concrete plan and structure that sends a clear signal to the markets that Europe is standing behind the euro and will do what it takes, we're going to continue to see the kinds of turmoil that we saw in the markets today -- or was it yesterday?  I'm trying to figure out what -- (laughter) -- what time zone I'm in here. 

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  It's all of the time.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All of the -- right.  (Laughter.)  We have consulted very closely with our European friends.  I think that there is a genuine desire, on the part of leaders like President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel, to solve this crisis.  But they've got a complicated political structure.

The problem right now is a problem of political will; it's not a technical problem.  We saw some progress with Italy and Greece both putting forward essentially unity governments that can implement some significant reforms that need to take place in those countries.  But at this point, the larger European community has to stand behind the European project.  And for those American readers or listeners, and those Australian readers or listeners, I think we all understand at this point we've got an integrated world economy and what happens in Europe will have an impact on us.

So we are going to continue to advise European leaders on what options we think would meet the threshold where markets would settle down.  It is going to require some tough decisions on their part.  They have made some progress on some fronts -- like their efforts to recapitalize the banks.  But ultimately what they're going to need is a firewall that sends a clear signal:  "We stand behind the European project, and we stand behind the euro."  And those members of the eurozone, they are going to have the liquidity they need to service their debt.  So there's more work to do on that front. 

And just -- I don't want to steal your question, but I do want to just say, with respect to our budget, there's a reason why I'm spending this time out here in Asia and out here in the Pacific region.  First and foremost, because this is the fastest-growing economic region in the world, and I want to create jobs in the United States, which means we've got to sell products here and invest here and have a robust trading relationship here, and Australia happens to be one of our strongest trading partners.

But the second message I'm trying to send is that we are here to stay.  This is a region of huge strategic importance to us.  And I've made very clear, and I'll amplify in my speech to Parliament tomorrow, that even as we make a whole host of important fiscal decisions back home, this is right up there at the top of my priority list.  And we're going to make sure that we are able to fulfill our leadership role in the Asia Pacific region.

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  And I was just going to make what I think is the common-sense point -- I'm not going to issue words of advice about the fiscal position in the United States -- but the common-sense point from the point of view of the leader is, ultimately, budgets are about choices and there are hard choices about the things you value.  And I think, by President Obama being here, he is saying he values the role of the United States in this region and our alliance, and that's what the announcement we've made today is all about.

We've got a question from Mark Riley from the Australian media.

Q    Thanks, Prime Minister.  Mark Riley from 7News, Australia.  Mr. President, I wanted to ask you about the other rising giant of our region -- India -- and the Prime Minister might like to add some comments.  How significant is it for the U.S. that Australia is now considering selling uranium to India? And could you clear up for us what influence or encouragement your administration gave Australia as it made that decision?  And also, the decision is so India can produce clean energy.  In that regard, you're aware that our Parliament has passed a new bill, pricing carbon -- a carbon tax, if you like.  But we're intrigued about where America is going on this issue.

And countries like Australia don’t see a carbon trading system in the world working unless America is a big part of it.  Can you tell us, is it your wish that American will have an emissions trading scheme across the nation within the next five years or so?  How heavily do you want to see America involved in an emissions trading scheme globally, or has this become too politically hard for you?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, with respect to India, we have not had any influence, I suspect, on Australia’s decision to explore what its relationship in terms of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in India might be.  I suspect that you’ve got some pretty smart government officials here who figured out that India is a big player, and that the Australia-India relationship is one that should be cultivated.  So I don’t think Julia or anybody else needs my advice in figuring that out.  This is part of your neighborhood, and you are going to make bilateral decisions about how to move forward. 

I think without wading into the details, the discussions that are currently taking place here in Australia around that relationship and the nuclear issue with India are ones that are compatible with international law, compatible with decisions that were made in the NPT.  And I will watch with interest what’s determined.  But this is not something between the United States and Australia; this is something between India and Australia.

With respect to carbon emissions, I share the view of your Prime Minister and most scientists in the world that climate change is a real problem and that human activity is contributing to it, and that we all have a responsibility to find ways to reduce our carbon emissions.

Each country is trying to figure out how to do that most effectively.  Here in Australia, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, you’ve moved forward with a bold strategy.  In the United States, although we haven’t passed what we call a cap-and-trade system, an exchange, what we have done is, for example, taken steps to double fuel efficiency standard on cars, which will have an enormous impact on removing carbon from the atmosphere.

We’ve invested heavily in clean energy research.  We believe very strongly that we’ve improved efficiencies and a whole step range of steps that we can meet and the commitments that we made in Copenhagen and Cancun.  And as we move forward over the next several years, my hope is, is that the United States, as one of several countries with a big carbon footprint, can find further ways to reduce our carbon emissions.  I think that’s good for the world.  I actually think, over the long term, it’s good for our economies as well, because it’s my strong belief that industries, utilities, individual consumers -- we’re all going to have to adapt how we use energy and how we think about carbon.

Now, another belief that I think the Prime Minister and I share is that the advanced economies can’t do this alone.  So part of our insistence when we are in multilateral forum -- and I will continue to insist on this when we go to Durban -- is that if we are taking a series of step, then it’s important that emerging economies like China and India are also part of the bargain.  That doesn’t mean that they have to do exactly what we do.  We understand that in terms of per capita carbon emissions, they’ve got a long way to go before they catch up to us.  But it does mean that they’ve got to take seriously their responsibilities as well.

And so, ultimately, what we want is a mechanism whereby all countries are making an effort.  And it’s going to be a tough slog, particularly at a time when the economies are -- a lot of economies are still struggling.  But I think it’s actually one that, over the long term, can be beneficial.

Jackie Calmes.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you, Prime Minister Gillard.  I wanted to double back to the topic of China.  It seems there’s a bit of a schizophrenic aspect to this week of summitry in the Asian Pacific, where China is participating from Hawaii to Indonesia, but then you have all the rest of you who are talking about, on one hand, a trade bloc that excludes China, and now this -- and an increased military presence for the United States, which is symbolized most by this agreement the two of you have made for a permanent U.S. presence in Australia.

What is it everyone fears so much from China?  And isn’t there some risk that you would increase tensions in a way that would take some of the -- China might take some of the very actions you fear?

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  I’m happy to start with that and then go to the President.  I don’t -- I think there’s actually a theme throughout the work we’ve been involved with at APEC, some of the discussion here and what we will take to the East Asia Summit.  We may be on a journey from saying “aloha” to “good day” to "Bali hai*” or something like that.  But I actually think in terms of a strategic outlook, it remains the same -- which is both of our nations deeply engaged with China as it rises and we want to see China rise into the global rules-based order.

That’s our aspiration.  I understand it to be the aspiration of the United States.  It’s something that we pursue bilaterally with China.  It’s something that we pursue multilaterally in the various forums that we work in. 

This East Asia Summit will have a particular significance, coming for the first time with the President of the United States there and of course Russia represented around the table, so all of the players with the right mandate to discuss strategic, political and economic questions for our region.

So I actually believe there’s a continuity here:  APEC fundamentally focused on trade and economic liberalization; here in Australia, longtime allies, talking about the future of their alliance and building for that future, as you would expect, but also preparing for a set of discussions in Bali, which will bring us together again with our friends across the region.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Just to pick up on this theme, Jackie, I think the notion that we fear China is mistaken.  The notion that we are looking to exclude China is mistaken.  And I’ll take TPP as a perfect example of this.  We haven’t excluded China from the TPP.  What we have said is the future of this region depends on robust trade and commerce, and the only way we're going to grow that trade is if we have a high-standards trade agreement where everybody is playing by the same rules; where if one set of markets is open then there's reciprocity among the other trading partners; where there are certain rules that we abide by in terms of intellectual property rights protection or how we deal with government procurement -- in addition to the traditional areas like tariffs. 

And what we saw in Honolulu, in APEC, was that a number of countries that weren't part of the initial discussions -- like Japan, Canada, Mexico -- all expressed an interest in beginning the consultations to be part of this high-standard trade agreement that could potentially be a model for the entire region. 

Now, if China says, we want to consult with you about being part of this as well, we welcome that.  It will require China to rethink some of its approaches to trade, just as every other country that's been involved in the consultations for the TPP have had to think through, all right, what kinds of adjustments are we willing to make? 

And so that's the consistent theme here.  This is a growing region.  It is a vital region.  The United States is going to be a huge participant in both economic and security issues in the Asia Pacific region, and our overriding desire is that we have a clear set of principles that all of us can abide by so that all of us can succeed.  And I think it's going to be important for China to be a part of that.  I think that's good for us. 

But it's going to require China, just like all the rest of us, to align our existing policies and what we've done in the past with what's needed for a brighter future. 

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, everybody.

PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Thank you.

END
6:43 P.M. AEST

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Aulani Disney Resort, Ko Olina, Hawaii

11:12 A.M. HAST

        THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much. Aloha.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat.  It is good to be home.  (Applause.)  It is wonderful to see somebody who actually knew my parents when they first met at the University of Hawaii -- the Governor of the great state of Hawaii, Neil Abercrombie, and his wonderful wife Nancie Caraway.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  

        Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz is here.  (Applause.)  Congresswoman Mazie Hirono.  (Applause.)  Please give a big round of applause to outstanding singer John Cruz.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Jeff Stone and all of our host committee, for helping to pull this together.  (Applause.)

        It is wonderful to be here, not just because the weather is perfect, but this has been a little trip down memory lane.  I've got classmates who are here.  I actually have Mr. Tory (sp), my  -- (laughter) -- was it seventh grade or eighth grade teacher?  (Laughter.)  He looks great.  Tenth grade.  (Applause.)  Tenth grade.  He looks exactly the same.  (Laughter.)  I'm trying to figure out what he's eating.  (Laughter.)

        Now, somebody said -- they we're passing on greetings from a guy who went to Kamehameha who said he blocked my shot into the bleachers.  (Laughter.)  I didn't appreciate that.  (Laughter.)  And then somebody else said, this guy who says he went to kindergarten with you says hi.  (Laughter.)  And I got to admit I don't remember my kindergarten class.  (Laughter.)  But tell him I said hello as well.

        It is great to be home, great to feel that aloha spirit.  And Michelle and the girls will be back shortly for Christmas vacation, as we do every year.  (Applause.)  We'll see if Washington gets its business done, so I can get here as well.  (Applause.)  But that's always a challenge.

        But I'm here today not just because I need your help, it's also because the country needs your help.  There was a reason why so many of you worked so hard, poured your hearts into our campaign in 2008.  And obviously there was a little bias here in Honolulu and here in Hawaii about the hometown kid.  But it certainly wasn't because you thought it was going to be easy to elect me President.  As Neil said, there was some skepticism about the prospects of my candidacy.  I don't think that you would have, if you were looking for an easy campaign, you would have decided to support Barack Hussein Obama for President.  (Laughter.)  The polls did not tell you that I was a sure thing.

        And besides, the campaign wasn't about me -- it was about a vision that we share for America.  It wasn't a narrow, cramped vision of an America where everybody is left to fend for themselves.  It was a vision of a big, generous, bold America, where we look out for one another.  (Applause.)  An America where everybody has a shot -- where everybody, if they work hard, if they take care of their responsibilities, if they look after their families, that they can get their piece of the American Dream.  

        That was what the campaign was about -- the belief that the more Americans succeed, the more America succeeds.  And that's the vision we shared, and that was the change that we believed in.  We knew it wouldn't come easy, we knew it wasn't going to come quickly, but three years later, because of what you did in 2008, we've already started to see what change looks like.

        Let me give you some examples.  Change is the first bill I signed into law -- a law that says an equal day's work should mean an equal day's pay, because our daughters should -- deserve the same opportunities as our sons do.  (Applause.)  That's what change looks like.  

        Change is the decision we made -- not a popular one at the time -- to save the auto industry from collapse.  There were a lot of folks who said, let Detroit go bankrupt.  But we decided to not only save thousands of jobs, get hundreds of local businesses thriving again, but we are now seeing fuel-efficient cars rolling off the assembly lines, stamped with three proud words:  Made in America.  And those are going to be exported all around the world.  That's because of you.  (Applause.)  Because of the change that you brought.

        Change is the decision we made to stop waiting for Congress to do something about our oil addiction and finally raise our fuel-efficiency standards on our cars and on our trucks.  And now, by the next decade, we'll be driving cars that get 56 miles per gallon.  And that means that we are not only saving consumers money, but we're also taking carbon out of the atmosphere, and it is going to make a huge difference in terms of our environment, and that's because of you and the campaign that you helped run in 2008.

        Change is the fight that we won to stop sending $60 billion in taxpayer subsidies to the banks that were giving out student loans, and today that money is going directly to students.  And as a consequence, there are millions of young people all across the country who have less of a debt burden and are better able to afford college.  That's because of you, because of the work that you did.  (Applause.)

        Change is health care reform.  (Applause.)  After a century of trying, a reform that will finally make sure that nobody goes bankrupt in America just because they get sick.  And by the way, change is the 1 million young Americans who are already receiving insurance that weren't getting it before, because they can now stay on their parent's health insurance until they're 26 years old.  That's a change that you made.  At the same time, it provides everybody protection, so that if you get sick, if you have a preexisting condition, you can still afford to get health insurance -- you'll still have access to quality care.  That's the kind of changes that you brought about because of the work you did in 2008.

        Change is the fact that, for the first time in history, it doesn't matter who you love if you want to serve this country that we all love.  (Applause.)  We ended "don't ask, don't tell"  because of the change that you made.

        And change is keeping one of the first promises I made in my campaign in 2008 -- we are bringing the war in Iraq to a close.  By the end of this year all our troops will be home for the holidays.  (Applause.)  

        And we've been working smarter and more effectively on national security, and that is why we have decimated al Qaeda -- it's weaker than it's ever been before.  And Osama bin Laden will never walk this Earth again.  (Applause.)  But we've been able to do it while sticking to our values.  

        I was asked yesterday at a press conference about waterboarding.  We didn't need to resort to that in order to protect our homeland and protect the people we love.  (Applause.)

        Now, many of these changes weren't easy.  Some of them were risky.  Many of them came in the face of tough opposition and powerful lobbyists and special interests that were pouring millions of dollars into television ads to try to keep things just as they were.  And it's no secret that the steps that we took weren't always politically popular.  But this progress has been possible because of you -- because you stood up and made your voices heard; because you knocked on doors and you made phone calls and you got in arguments with family members at Thanksgiving and -- (laughter.)  You kept up the fight for change long after the election was over.  And that should make you proud.  It should make you hopeful.  But it can't make us satisfied.  It can't make us complacent, because we've got so much more work to do.  

        Everything we fought for in the last election is now at stake in the next election.  The very core of what this country stands for is on the line.  The basic promise that no matter who you are or where you come from, what you look like, that you can make it in America if you try -- that vision is on the line.  

        This financial and economic crisis that we've been through, it struck months before I took office, and it put more Americans out of work than at any time since the Great Depression.  But it was also the culmination of a decade in which the middle class was falling further and further behind.  More good jobs in manufacturing left our shores.  More of our prosperity was built on risky financial deals instead of us actually making stuff.  We racked up bigger and bigger piles of debt, even as incomes fell and wages flat-lined and the cost of everything from college to health care kept on going up.  All those things were taking place long before the 2008 financial crisis.  

        So these problems didn't happen overnight, and the truth is they won't be solved overnight.  It's going to take a few more years to meet the challenges that have been a decade in the making.  And I think the American people understand that.  

        What they don't understand is leaders who refuse to take action.  They don't understand a Congress that can't seem to move with a sense of urgency about the problems that America is facing.  (Applause.)  What they're sick and tired of is watching the people who are supposed to represent them put party ahead of country, and the next election before the next generation.

        President Kennedy used to say that, after he took office, what surprised him most about Washington was finding out that things were just as bad as he'd been saying they were.  (Laughter.)  I can relate.  (Laughter.)  When you've got the top Republican in the Senate saying that his party's number-one priority isn't putting people back to work, isn't trying to fix the economy, but is to try to defeat me, you've got a sense that things in Washington aren't really on the level.  

        That's how you end up with Republicans in Congress voting against all kinds of jobs proposals that they actually supported in the past -- tax cuts for workers and small business; rebuilding our roads and our bridges; putting cops and teachers back to work.  These aren’t partisan issues.  These are common-sense approaches to putting people back to work at a time when the unemployment rate is way too high.  But politics seems to override everything in Washington these days.  And people are tired of it, and they expect it to change.

        They might think it’s a smart political strategy, but it’s not a strategy to make America stronger.  It’s not a strategy to relieve some of the pain and difficulty that families are feeling all across the country, including here in Hawaii.  It’s not a strategy to help middle-class families who've been working two and three shifts just to put food on the table -- if they can find a job.  It’s not a strategy for us winning the future.

        So we’ve got a choice in 2012.  The question is not whether people are still hurting.  The question is whether -- it’s not whether our economy is still on the mend.  There’s no doubt that things are tough right now.  Of course people are hurting.  Of course the economy is still struggling.  The question is what do we do about it?  The debate we need to have in this election is about where we go from here.  

        And the Republicans in Congress and the candidates running for President, they’ve got a very specific idea of where they want to take this country.  To their credit, they’re not hiding it.  Watch these debates.  (Laughter.)  They want to reduce the deficit by gutting our investment in education, in research and technology, our investment in rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our airports and our ports.  

        Now, I believe that since I already signed a trillion dollars worth of spending cuts and have proposed to make even more, it’s time to reduce the deficit not just by cutting, but also by asking the wealthiest among, the most fortunate among us, to do a little more to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)

        And, by the way, most folks who can afford it, they’re willing to do a little bit more to make this country stronger.  They just want to make sure that if they’re doing a little bit more, the government is working a little bit better; that the money is being spent well; that it’s going to things like education that are critical to our future.

        The Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail want to make Medicare a form of private insurance that seniors have to shop for with a voucher that probably will not cover all of the cost.  I believe we can lower the cost of Medicare with reforms that still guarantee a dignified retirement that our seniors have earned.

        And, by the way, I speak as somebody who it was only a couple of years ago when I was here watching my grandmother fade away.  And she had had a successful career at Bank of Hawaii.  She had the kind of retirement that a lot of people don’t have these days.  But knowing that Medicare was there for her made all the difference in the world.  This is not an abstraction.  Everybody here has a family member who knows how important that is.  

        The Republicans in Congress and these folks on the campaign trail, they think the best way for America to compete for new jobs and businesses is to follow other countries in a race to the bottom.  Since places like China allow companies to pay low wages, they want to roll back the minimum wage and the right to organize here at home.

        Since other countries don’t have the same anti-pollution measures that we have -- dirtier air, dirtier water -- their attitude is, let’s go ahead and pollute.  That’s how we’re going to compete.  

        Now, I don’t think that we should have any more regulations than the health and the safety of the American people require.  That’s why I’ve already made reforms that will save businesses billions of dollars, and why we put in place fewer regulations than the Bush administration did in its first two years.

        Think about that.  When you’re watching television and everybody is talking about how the Obama administration is regulating businesses to death, we’ve actually put fewer regulations in place, smarter regulations in place, with much higher benefit at much lower cost.  That’s our track record.  

        But I don’t believe, even as we’re reforming our regulatory system, that we should have a race to the bottom.  We’re not going to the win the competition in the Asia Pacific region by seeing if we can have the lowest wages and the worst pollution.  We can’t win that race.  We’ve got to have the highest-skilled workers, the best infrastructure, the most dynamic innovation economy.  That’s the race that we can win.  That should be our focus.

        We should be competing to make our schools the envy of the world; to give our workers the best skills and training; to put college educations within the reach of anybody who is willing to work hard.  We should be in a race to give our business the ability to move people and services quickly and effectively all around the world.  We should be in a race to make those investments in NIH and the National Science Foundation, and all the things that help to create to the Internet and GPS -- those things that have created entire new industries.

        We should be focused on clean energy.  Folks here in Hawaii understand that we can’t keep on doing business the way we’re doing it.  We’ve got to start changing.  And it gives us enormous opportunities for jobs and growth.  That should be the race that we’re trying to win.  

        We should make sure that the next generation of manufacturing takes route not in Asia, not in Europe, but right here in the United States of America.  I don’t want this nation just to be known for its consumption; I want us to be known for building and producing things, and selling those goods all around the world.  That’s what this APEC conference has been about.

        So this competition for new jobs and businesses and middle-class security, that’s the race I know we can win.  But you don’t win it by saying every American is on their own.  We’re not going to win it if we just hand out more tax cuts to people who don’t need them, let companies play by their own rules without any restriction, and we just hope somehow that the success of the wealthiest few translates in the prosperity for everybody else.

        We have tried that, by the way.  We tried it for 10 years.  It’s part of what got into the mess that we’re in.  It doesn’t work.  It didn’t work for Herbert Hoover, when it was called trickle-down economics during the Depression.  It didn’t work between 2000 and 2008, and it won’t work today.  And the reason it won’t work is because we are not a country that is built on survival of the fittest.  That’s not who we are.  We believe in the survival of the nation.  We believe that we all have a stake in each other’s success; that if we can attract outstanding teachers to a profession by giving that teacher the pay that she deserves, that teacher goes on and educates the next Steve Jobs. And then suddenly we’ve got a whole new business, whole new industry -- and everybody can succeed.

        We believe that if we provide faster Internet service to rural America or parts that have been left out of the Internet revolution, so that a store owner can now sell goods around the world, or if we build a new bridge that saves the shipping company time and money, then workers and customers all around the world are going to prosper.  That is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea.  That is an American idea.

        There was a Republican named Abraham Lincoln -- you may have heard of him -- who launched the Transcontinental Railroad, the National Academy of Science, the first land grant colleges.  He understood that we’ve got to make investments in our common future.  There was a Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, who called for a progressive income tax -- not a Democrat.  There was a Republican named Dwight Eisenhower, who built the Interstate Highway System.  It was with the help of Republicans in Congress that FDR gave millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the G.I. Bill.  

        And that same spirit of common purpose I believe exists today; it just doesn’t exist in Washington.  But it exists among the American people.  It exists here in Hawaii.  

        When I get out of the capital, I see it all the time -- when you talk to people on Main Streets and in town halls.  It's there when people get asked if they think you should build a new road or invest in clean energy or put teachers back in the classroom, and they’ll say absolutely -- huge majorities -- Democrats, Republicans and independents.

        It’s there when folks who are asked if the wealthiest Americans should pay their fair share.  A majority -- Democrats, independents, Republicans -- and the majority of wealthy folks, say, yes, that’s a good idea for us to be able to lower our deficit and still invest in our future.

        So our politics in Washington may be divided, but most Americans still understand that we can do more if we do it together; that no matter who we are or where we come from, we rise or fall as one nation and one people.  And that’s what’s at stake right now.  That’s what this election is about.  

        I know it’s been a tough three years, and I know that the change that we fought for in 2008 hasn’t always been easy.  There have been setbacks.  There have been false starts.  And sometimes, it may be tempting to believe that, ah, Washington, you just can’t change.  So remember what I always used to say during the campaign.  Even on inauguration night I said it.  I said real change, big change is hard.  It takes time.  It takes more than a single term.  It takes more than a single President. It takes all of you.  It takes ordinary citizens who are committed to continuing to fight and to push, to keep inching our country closer and closer to our ideals.  

        That’s how a band of colonials were able to create this incredible country, just out of an idea, a revolutionary idea.  That’s how the greatest generation was able to overcome more than a decade of war and depression, to build the greatest middle class on Earth.  That’s how we got the civil rights movement.  That’s how we got the women’s rights movement.  Inch by inch, step by step.  Change is hard and it takes time.  But in America, it’s always been possible.  

        And so I hope that all of you recommit yourselves and feel just as energized about 2012 as you did in 2008.  And I’ll remind you of something else that I said back then.  I said, I am not a perfect man and I will not be a perfect President.  Michelle can testify to that.  (Laughter.)  But you know what I also promised in 2008?  I said I would always tell you what I believe.  I will always tell you where I stand.  And I’ll wake up every single day fighting for you and that vision of America that we share.  (Applause.)

        So if all of you still believe, if all of you still have hope -- you may not have the old posters from 2008 -- (laughter) -- but if you share that vision and determination to see it through, if you are willing to do just what you did in 2008 and maybe even a little more -- knocking on doors and making phone calls, and getting people involved and getting people engaged -- I guarantee you we will not just win an election, but more importantly, we will continue this country on a journey that makes sure that our children and our grandchildren have a better future.  And we will remind the entire world just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth.

        Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)  God bless America.  Thank you.

END 11:37 A.M. HAST

Remarks by the First Lady at APEC Spouses Luncheon

Ka’a’awa, Hawaii

11:49 A.M. HAST

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, first of all I just want to say welcome and good afternoon.  It is such a pleasure to see each of you again today.  I hope you enjoyed last night.  I hope that you got some rest.  And if you still feel a bit tired, then our hope is that this spectacular view will wake you up, as well as this wonderful lunch.  I am thrilled to be with all of you today, as I am every time we have an opportunity to meet. 

I know traveling for our spouses can be difficult, but for me, one of the things that makes it worthwhile is getting to know each one of you.  Over the last several years, I've had an opportunity to talk and share stories, and learn more about your lives and your children and your family.  And I can say that this is one of the greatest benefits of being a First Lady, is sharing this experience with each and every one of you.  So from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your friendship, and I look forward to spending more time with each of you in the years to come. 

I am also thrilled to have a chance to welcome you all here to Hawaii at this year’s APEC Summit.  And I have to tell you that this state, as you know, has a very special place in my heart.  As many of you know, my husband was born and raised here.  Our sister, Maya, is joining us here today, and she still lives here with our two nieces.  She's working with the University of Hawaii, doing some great outreach education, training of teachers, and just being an overall great professional and wonderful mother.  And I'm glad that she could be here today. 

And our family has the privilege of coming here -- the burden of coming back here every year.  (Laughter.)  And that's really one of the reasons I married Barack.  (Laughter.)  When I realized that this is where we'd be spending the holidays, I said, "Yes -- I love you!"  (Laughter.)  So Barack and I, we have a tradition:  Over the last 20, maybe -- more than 20 years, because we started coming back even before we were engaged; every year we come here for two weeks and spend time getting to know this wonderful island and spending time with our families.  So it is a unique privilege to be able to share this special place with all of you.  And ever since I first met Barack, he’s always talked about how growing up here, in this place, has shaped his character and his perspective -- and it's true.  He is a very calm, focused individual, and much of that comes from his upbringing here, and the connection to the community here as well. 

As he said, Hawaii is an incredibly diverse place; it's home to people of all different cultures.  And there’s a special spirit here –- a spirit of openness and tolerance.  And I have experienced it myself.  I feel like this is my home away from  home, a place where I feel welcome and open and optimistic.  Folks here view their differences as strengths –- not as weaknesses.  And people of all different backgrounds live together and work together and seek to learn from each other.  

So in many ways, Hawaii is really the perfect place for this year’s APEC Summit, because that is precisely what our spouses are working towards here during their time together.  They’re coming together to address our shared challenges.  They are finding ways to boost our economies so that we can all prosper.  And they’re working to ensure -- most importantly -- that our young people will have every opportunity to fulfill their dreams.  And I know that all of you and your spouses also share that hope and goal for the young people in our country and in our world.

So we thought that this last point actually brings me to one of the reasons why we came here, and why you're about to eat the meal that you're going to have.  Because we're working with young people -- they've helped us make this afternoon possible.  The fresh fruits and vegetables that you’ll be eating today were grown and prepared by some phenomenal young people at a local organic farm under the guidance of a great Hawaiian chef, Chef Ed Kenney. 

And I had the pleasure of spending a very cool afternoon with many of these young people yesterday, and I can tell you that they are some amazing, positive people who will have an impact not just on the state of Hawaii, but on the rest of the world.  Through the work that they're doing, they're not only interning and learning about farming and learning how to reconnect with one of the important cultural aspects of their heritage, but they're also working, earning a living, gaining an internship -- and the program is paying for many of them to finish their education.  All of these young people are either getting -- going to community colleges in the area, or they're pursuing their graduate or undergraduate educations at the University of Hawaii and other institutions here.  I love these kids.  I love this program.  And I am just pleased that they decided to come and spend a little more time with us today.  So it is now my pleasure to introduce to you Chef Kenney and two of the great students who work with Ma'o Farms -– Manny Miles and Ku’u Samson.  You guys ready to talk some more?

MS. SAMSON:  Yes.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  They pretend to be shy, but they're not really.  So they're going to tell you a little bit more about the meal that they've prepared for you -- for us today, and anything else that you want to share with us.  So, Chef Kenney, take it away.

END
11:56 P.M. HAST

Remarks by the President at Host Performance and Cultural Program

Hale Koa Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii

November 12, 2011
9:30 P.M. HAST
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everybody.  To all the leaders who are representing their countries here at APEC, I hope you’ve had a wonderful stay so far, and hope you had a wonderful dinner.  To members of the delegation, welcome. 
 
Two years ago, when I was in Singapore and it was announced that we would be hosting the APEC Summit here in Honolulu, I promised that you would all have to wear aloha shirts or grass skirts.  (Laughter.)  But I was persuaded by our team to perhaps break tradition, and so we have not required you to wear your aloha shirts, although I understand that a few of you have tried them on for size, and we may yet see you in them in the next several days.
 
But one tradition that we did not want to break is the tradition of the luau.  Here in Hawaii, there is a traditional gathering that we call luau, and it’s basically an excuse for a good party, and it’s used for every occasion.  We have birthday luaus and graduation luaus.  And now we have APEC luaus.  (Applause.)  And there is -- somebody is ready to party already.  (Laughter.)
 
We have music.  We have song.  We have celebration.  And we have hula dancing.  And Michelle does not think I’m a very good dancer, so I will not be performing this evening.  (Laughter.)  But I think we will have some wonderful examples of traditional Polynesian dance and music and song.  And it will capture, I think, the extraordinary spirit of these islands, but also capture, I think, the spirit in which I hope we proceed in our important work during the course of this APEC Summit.
 
We are bound together by an ocean.  We are bound together by a common belief and a common concern for our people -- their aspirations, their hopes, their dreams.  And so I hope that all of you feel the extraordinary spirit of Hawaii and very much look forward to a wonderful set of meetings tomorrow.
 
So, with that, please enjoy.  (Applause.)
 
END
9:32 P.M. HAST