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Australia is a resource-rich nation. We have been good at exploiting our minerals base and agricultural sector for exports.

With so much at risk, you might expect Australia to be at the forefront of the clean-energy revolution and the international effort to cut carbon pollution. After all, the continent's vast, empty deserts were practically designed for solar-power installations.

But Australia faces additional regional and global challenges also crucial to our nation's future - climate change, questions of energy and food security, the rise of China and the rise of India. And we need a strong system of global and regional relationships and institutions to underpin stability.

There is an incredible renewable energy resource off both coasts of this country - wind and tidal energy that can power our economy, create good paying jobs and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

I want to give my compliments to Australia. Ever since your government paid a few million dollars for a Jackson Pollack painting, I figure that it must be a marvellous country.

The coal industry is an even larger part of the Australian economy than it is of the American, and it has an enormous amount of political power.

As a state we are so uniquely positioned in so many ways. Our geography, our placement in the country, and our history positions us to be the state that propels energy efficiency as an industry.

I want to see a connected and progressive future for Australia, where we harness our greatest natural resources: sun, wind, and brain power.

I love Australia. I love the people there; they are fantastic. The business opportunities are endless.