Relative to New South Wales, Australia.

FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   MAY 30, 1997

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SCR 19, Brulte.  New South Wales:  sister state status.

This measure would extend an invitation to the people of the State of New South Wales, Australia, to join California as a sister state, and would encourage the fostering of social, economic, educational, scientific, and cultural exchanges, in order to strengthen mutual economic ties, and improve international understanding and good will.

   WHEREAS, Australia is one of the most important trading partners of California and the United States, and one of the few in the world

with which we enjoy a positive balance of trade; and

   WHEREAS, New South Wales and California are the commercial, industrial, and financial centers of their respective countries, as

well as leading centers for the production of wine, films, gold, and sports and leisure activities; and

   WHEREAS, New South Wales and California are the most populous states in their respective countries, and share a common language,

similar early history dominated by mining and agriculture, diverse and multicultural populations, and a Pacific Rim orientation; and

   WHEREAS, California's educational community has begun to recognize the significance of Australia, through the development of university

coursework and curricula dedicated to the study of Australia at the University of California, the University of Southern California, and

the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California at San Diego; and

   WHEREAS, Although New South Wales and California share a great deal in common, they are sufficiently different that both would

benefit from increased trade, investment, tourism, cultural, educational, and scientific exchanges; and

   WHEREAS, The California Legislature is committed to encouraging relationships and exchanges between California and other regions of

the world in order to promote better economic ties, understanding, and peaceful relations; and

   WHEREAS, Establishing and developing a sister state relationship between New South Wales and California would help achieve these

goals, and would stimulate and facilitate additional mutually beneficial exchanges; and

   WHEREAS, The State of New South Wales has already passed the legislation necessary to enter into a sister state relationship with

California; now, therefore, be it

  Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature, on behalf of the people of

the State of California hereby extends an invitation to the people of  the State of New South Wales, Australia, to join California as a

sister state, and commit to the development of programs to foster social, economic, educational, scientific, and cultural exchanges in

order to strengthen economic ties, and improve international understanding and good will between the two states; and be it further

   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the Honorable Max Frederick Willis, President of the

Legislative Council of New South Wales, the Honorable John Henry Murray, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, and

the Honorable Pete Wilson, Governor of California.