17 September 1997
E&OE............................
(TAPE BEGINS)
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, were you asking the Prime Minister here for some support given the dissatisfaction the Island leaders had with your Austeo documents?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Didn't discuss it?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
It's in the past.
JOURNALIST:
What about support for Australia's position in terms of CO2 emissions?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
None of us, neither of us talked of that in terms of sort of support or opposition. We discussed the subject. Australia's views on it are known. We understand the position of the Island States, we of course have a national interest to protect and advance. I think different people will take different positions on it, but I'm hopeful that the Kyoto Summit can produce a sensible, realistic outcome.
JOURNALIST:
Would it not be helpful for you though if a country such as New Zealand did support you, or be shown to have some support?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Look I'm not getting into the business of .........
PRIME MINISTER BOLGER:
What we spent time on in terms of that is very simple, is looking at what's likely to come out of the Communique at the end of this Forum, and both of us are optimistic that the Communique will capture the sense and the mood of the Forum nations and we don't anticipate from the advice we got from senior officials, too much difficulty there. There is work to be done by the Leaders but work that is achievable.
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
It would be a very big mistake to sort of try and beat up a dispute over this. It would really be a huge mistake.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think Australians jobs though are more important that the survival of the small island states in the Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
I think what is important is that each country should put its own point of view and protect its own interests, equally recognising that we're all part of an international community, and that is what I will be doing as Prime Minister of Australia. In the process of doing that I won't be reluctant to state the Australian national interest, and the Australian national interest does involve the living standards of my country and the jobs of my people and I will never be reluctant to put that forward. Equally I will listen very carefully to what others have to say.
JOURNALIST:
Even if (inaudible) other countries in the process?
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
Well I think that's an extremely exaggerated statement, and not one that impresses me.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister Bolger, what is New Zealand's view about this question?
PRIME MINISTER BOLGER:
The question?
JOURNALIST:
On the question of the CO2 emissions and sea-level rises?
PRIME MINISTER BOLGER:
Well we are part of the Annex 1 countries and accept the obligations that go with Annex 1 countries, but we equally accept that whatever comes out of the conference at Kyoto and maybe building on some of the wording we agree to here in the Communique, has to be a result that can be achieved, and that any goals that are established have to be goals that mean something. And that any long term resolution of climate change and climate changing gases has to include not only the Annex 1 countries, but clearly the large developing countries in due course are going to have to contribute as well. You can't contemplate the circumstances where very, very large economies will not be contributing in the future, even if they're not in Annex 1 countries now.
PRIME MINISTER HOWARD:
And on that score its very important to make the point that one way of ensuring a greater involvement of developing countries is to have differentiation. If you really want to lock out the developing countries, nail your colours permanently to the mast of legally binding targets.
Thank you.
[ENDS]