Ambassador to the United States Dennis Richardson AO discussed the state of Australia-US relations at a Sydney breakfast on 17 August co-sponsored by the US Studies Centre with the American Australian Association, Industry & Investment NSW, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Addressing an audience that included former Prime Minister John Howard AC, NSW Governor and Chancellor of the University of Sydney Marie Bashir AC, and former Ambassador to the UN and US Studies Centre Adjunct Professor Robert Hill, Richardson pointed to the strength of the relationship, due in no small measure to continuities between the Howard and Rudd governments in Australia and the Bush and Obama administrations in the US. The Ambassador, who will assume the position of Secretary of DFAT later this year, said that these continuities will help both countries as they confront challenges for both countries including the war in Afghanistan, climate change and scaling back the scale of government after the global financial crisis.