A busy few days, with a trip to Perth to recce for the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting which will take place in October. Hosting a meeting for 54 heads of government and HM The Queen is quite a tall order, but we were impressed with the professionalism of Australian plans. It is shaping up to be an excellent event in a beautiful city.
Whilst in Perth I conducted a Civil Partnership registration at our Consular Office there. It was the first time I had done this and it was an enjoyable experience. Paul and Graham had been together for 19 years and were delighted to be finally making if official, and Paul’s parents back in Wolverhampton were able to follow the event live thanks to the wonders of Skype.
Then I flew to Adelaide where Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd was giving the Magna Carta lecture. This is an annual event organised by the British High Commission where we ask a leading Briton or Australian to talk about how the values enshrined in the 1215 charter, often described as the greatest constitutional document of all time, are relevant to the current day. He spoke powerfully about his experiences in the Horn of Africa, from where he’d just returned, and about the position of indigenous people in Australian society. We had a very impressive audience, including the Governor and Premier of South Australia and the Lord Mayor, some senior elders from the local indigenous community, and 400 students from local schools and universities. It was one of Kevin Rudd’s last public engagements before going into hospital for heart surgery and we all wish him well for a speedy recovery.