On March 31, the Brookings Institution hosted the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honorable Kevin Rudd MP, who spoke about Australia, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. Kevin Rudd is the 26th Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the federal Australian Labor Party.
Before being sworn in as Prime Minister in December 2007, Mr. Rudd was Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 1998, representing the electorate of Griffith, Queensland. Prior to becoming Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Rudd served as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Security, and Shadow Minister for Trade.
Brookings Chairman John L. Thornton provided introductory remarks and Senior Fellow Jeffrey A. Bader moderated the discussion. After the program, the Prime Minister took audience questions.