E&OE..........................................................................................
JOURNALIST:
Don McDonald wrote letter to the National Party Leader Tim Fischer,
asking him to hold off on the sale of Telstra, to urge you to do that.
How much of a threat is that to your tax package, your plans for a
GST?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well none.
JOURNALIST:
But how can you sell a GST without support from the National Party?
PRIME MINISTER:
We will go ahead with tax reform, full steam ahead. There will be
no change. Because there is an Asian economic downturn that makes
it all the more important to have tax reform in this country and there
is no way on Earth that the Government is going to back off tax reform,
no way on Earth.
JOURNALIST:
It will make it a lot more difficult though isn't it, if you
don't have the support of the National Party?
PRIME MINISTER:
You will see very strong support for the policy when it comes out.
But can I just make it very clear so nobody is in any doubt, we are
not in any way backtracking or relenting or faltering on tax reform
and the reason for that is that it is good for Australia. It's
got nothing to do with ideology, it has got nothing to do with personal
pride of ownership. It's got to do with one very simple thing
and that is that it is in the interests of Australia that we have
a fairer taxation system. It is in the interests of Australia that
in these difficult international economic times this country's
protection against that difficult world economic environment be added
to and not subtracted from. And we are pursuing tax reform because
it is good for the country and for no other reason.
JOURNALIST:
... with the National Party?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the National Party members of the Government have been fully
involved in this from the word go. Mr Fischer and I have spent literally
hours and hours and hours with our colleagues talking about the tax
policy. The processes that have been followed in relation to formulating
the tax policy are the same processes that have been followed in formulating
all other policies of the Government.
JOURNALIST:
When will we see the tax package?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, it will be ready quite soon but I'm not going to put a day
on it. I mean it is pointless asking me to name the date, that is
just a wasted question. It will be ready soon. I do not further qualify
that prediction.
JOURNALIST:
Are you going to lead a divided Coalition in an election campaign
given the position the National Party now holds on a GST and Telstra?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the policy of the National Party as part of the Coalition is
determined by the parliamentary National Party and the parliamentary
National Party is part of the Government and therefore in full support.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)... proposals are good policies for Australia, is the
National Party analysing the mood of the electorate correctly? Are
they getting it right?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the National Party members of the Government support the policy.
JOURNALIST:
Are they running scared of Pauline Hanson?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh I don't know. I think the best way to respond to One Nation
is to do good things for Australia. You don't beat off the challenge
of an alternative Party by appeasing that Party. You don't beat
off the challenge of an alternative Party by taking fright. You beat
off the challenge of an alternative Party by offering policies that
are good for Australia and that is why we pursue tax reform. It is
why we have cut interest rates. It is why we have cut inflation. It
is why we have generated 290,000 jobs since we came to power. It is
why we have given relief to small business. It is why we have tackled
welfare cheating and saved Australians $46 million a week as a result.
It is why we have introduced work-for-the-dole. All of these policies
are designed to better Australia and the way in which you win in public
life is to do good things for the country. You don't win in public
life by sloganeering, and by attacking people on a personal basis.
You win in public life by doing good things for the country that you
lead. And what we intend to do as a Government in relation to our
two opponents, the Labor Party and One Nation, and they are much closer
to each other on economic policy than either of them is to us. I mean,
it is very interesting. You've now got an alliance between One
Nation and Labor on economic issues. And the way in which we respond
to that alliance between Hanson and Beazley on economic policy is
to forge ahead with our own policies and that is the message, the
answer, the signal that I send to all Coalition supporters around
Australia. The way to win is to stick to your guns, to do the things
that are good for Australia, and that includes reforming Australia's
unfair anti-export, anti-rural taxation system. Thank you very much,
I have another appointment, very very nice.....
JOURNALIST:
.... (inaudible)...how are you addressing that while you are
here and how confident are you given that it could impact on your
marginal federal seats.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well any advice I might give about the organisation of the Liberal
Party anywhere around Australia I would tender as is my ....
JOURNALIST:
Have you expressed your displeasure...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I would tender, if I could finish, could I finish?
JOURNALIST:
Well, with respect, you're not answering the question.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, with respect you keep interrupting.
JOURNALIST:
... displeasure... have you expressed to Mr Olsen close to the
October State election result, how concerned are you now regarding
that on-going fighting when you're facing a federal election
and marginal seats?
PRIME MINISTER:
As I was saying before I was interrupted, any advice that I tender
about organisational matters in the Liberal Party, I tender in private.
(ENDS)