US president George W Bush today told federal parliament the relationship between Australia and America was vital for the two countries, in a speech marred by the ejection of two Greens senators.

President Bush began his address by saying: "I want to thank the people of Australia for a gracious welcome. Five months ago your Prime Minister was a distinguished visitor of ours in Crawford, Texas at our ranch. You might remember that I called him a 'man of steel' - that is Texan for 'fair dinkum'."

"The relationship between America and Australia is vibrant and vital. Together we will meet the challenges and picperils of our own time," President Bush said.

During the address to the joint sitting of both the House of Representatives and the Senate Mr Bush said Americans saw Australians as "independent, and enterprising and good-hearted people" who had fought side by side during two world wars and in Vietnam, Korea and Iraq.

"We see something familiar here, and something we like," he said.

But Mr Bush’s speech was interrupted by Greens leader Bob Brown, who heckled Mr Bush as the president talked of the end of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Mr Brown reportedly questioned whether the US had shown respect for the Iraqi people.

"Today Saddam’s regime has gone and no-one should mourn its tures passing," the President said.

Mr Bush was again heckled as he talked of a free trade agreement between Australia and America.

Greens senator Kerry Nettle was told to leave parliament after she interrupted Mr Bush.

"Together my country with Australia is promoting greater economic opportunity. Our nations are now working to complete a US-Australia need free trade agreement that will add momentum to the free trade throughout the Asian Pacific region while producing jobs in our own countries," the President managed to say despite the interjection.

As senator Nettle left the building, Mr Bush said:

"I love free speech."

The president also lauded John Howard.

Prime Minister John Howard is a man of exceptional courage who exemplifies the finest qualities of one of the world’s greatest democracies. I am proud to call him friend," he said.

Mr Bush talked of the need to remain vigilant against terrorists.

"We saw the scope of their (terrorists) hatred on September the 11th 2001. We saw the depth of their cruelty on October the 12th 2002. We saw destruction atten and grief and we saw our duty. As free nations in parallel, we must fight this enemy with all our strength," he said.

Before Mr Bush’s speech John Howard told parliament that Australians and Americans shared similar values.

"The belief that the individual is more important than the state. That strong families are a nation’s greatest asset. That competitive free enterprise is the ultimate foundation of national wealth and that the worth of a person is determined by that person’s character and hard work, not by that person’s religion or race or colour or creed or social background," he said.

Labor leader Simon Crean also praised the US-Australia relationship but reiterated Labor’s opposition to the Iraqi war.

"Of course on occasions friends do disagree, as we did on this side with yoution on the war in Iraq. But such is the strength of our shared values, our interests, our principles that those differences can enrich rather than diminish. They can strengthen, rather than weaken the partnership. Our commitment to the alliance remains unshakeable, as does our commitment to the war on terror," he said.