E&OE....................................................
MIKE MUNRO:
Prime Minister, thanks for your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
Hello Mike.
MIKE MUNRO:
You must feel like King Canute trying to hold back the tidal wave
of One Nation. Do you?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. It certainly did better in Queensland than I expected
but I have been through a lot of such experiences in politics. The
best response I can give, and the Government can give, is to govern
better in the interests of the Australian people. There was an obvious
message in the Queensland result and we don't want to be overwhelmed
by it but we can't ignore it.
MIKE MUNRO:
What do you see that message as being?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it's a collection of things. I think in economic times
of change people feel vulnerable and ignored particularly in rural
areas. There is a weariness with the combative style of politics
between the two major parties. Sometimes we look as though we are
point-scoring off each other rather than solving the problems of
the country.
MIKE MUNRO:
Sometimes or all the time?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, sometimes, because a lot of the time we are not doing that
but those combative bits get reported more than the others because
they make good theatre and make good television, so we can all learn
a lesson from that. One of the things I told my ministerial colleagues
today was that we had to focus on very tight, succinct responses
in Question Time to focus on issues that are relevant to people.
When you are in high office like I am you should never so lack humility
as to pretend that people aren't all the time trying to send
you a message and I think the Australian public is sending a message
to all of us that they want us to govern better for them. I accept
that but by the same token now that One Nation has won seats in
Parliament it has to be accountable for its policies. It can't
run around the country saying we've got a simple solution for
something. It will now have to demonstrate to people that it can
actually do things better.
MIKE MUNRO:
But a year ago you said Pauline Hanson wouldn't be around
at the next election?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I was wrong, wasn't I? And I don't mind admitting
that.
MIKE MUNRO:
And very wrong?
PRIME MINISTER:
Okay, well I am wrong. I mean it won't be the first mistake
I have made in my life nor will it be the last and I don't
mind acknowledging that but the thing now is to focus on the future
and let us say how we handle it. Now we handle it in a number of
ways. We govern better, we focus on things that matter to people,
we remind people of what we've done. We don't abandon
necessary reforms like giving them a fairer taxation system and
we also, all of us in public office, learn a bit of humility, listen
to people better but by the same token don't agree with nonsense
when it's put forward. And some of the propositions that One
Nation has put forward are wrong. I mean, for example, the idea
that you would print money to finance two per cent loans is not
only wrong but it's also quite dangerous to the savings of
retired Australians and I think over time those sorts of things
will come out.
MIKE MUNRO:
But that is the bottom line, that like never before the Australian
public is so disenchanted, so disillusioned with all political parties,
not just the Coalition. They really have in the vernacular ‘had
a gutful'. What do you do?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well some of...well, you certainly don't sort of go out and
slash your wrists. You try and understand why, you listen to people.
If you agree with them you say so, if you don't agree you also
say so. You don't lose your own self respect, you don't
lose your own belief in the things that you are doing for the future
of the country and I certainly intend to spend even more time travelling
around the country listening to and talking to Australians. And
you also take the opportunity to point out that One Nation is also
a political party. It's made up of politicians. Those politicians
are putting forward policies that have got to be examined and where
they are wrong and where they are not accountable they will be judged
by the same rules as the rest of us. And over time you will see
the fragility and the errors of many of the policies that are being
put forward.
MIKE MUNRO:
Mr Howard, you have now bitten the bullet and agreed to put One
Nation last on your seat's preferences. Now is this a matter
of expediency or principle?
PRIME MINISTER:
No look, I decided some weeks ago to do this but because of the
election in Queensland I felt that the Queensland division haven
taken a decision that it wasn't appropriate to announce it
then. But these things will be decided on a State-by-State basis
but I expect that most, if not all, situations will be that One
Nation will be last.
MIKE MUNRO:
As a matter of principle, would you prefer a Labor MP?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, that is a hypothetical question. Look as a matter of principle
I like Liberal and National Party MPs and this business of which
degrees of separation do you feel from your political opponents
- I mean, my principle political opponents are the Labor Party but
my aim in life is to get Liberals and Nationals elected to Parliament.
MIKE MUNRO:
So shouldn't you be showing some leadership when it comes
to preferences?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I think.....
MIKE MUNRO:
You're the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think what I should be showing is leadership on policy and
that's what we are doing by tackling such things as taxation
reform, getting the Australian economic house in order and stronger
in the face of the Asian economic challenge. I mean we have made
this economy much stronger than it would otherwise have been. We
are willing to try and give the Australian people a fairer tax system
and the Labor Party and One Nation have joined hands to try and
stop the Australian people having a fairer and better taxation system.
Now, the leadership that the Australian people wanted me at a time
like this is to say that this will be good for Australia, to argue
why it is good for Australia and to stand against those who want
to hang on to the present taxation system which is so clearly seen
by most Australians as being very unfair and quite unworkable.
MIKE MUNRO:
Mr Howard, we appreciate your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a pleasure.