E&OE....................................................
McCLUSKY:
Here's Prime Minister John Howard. A very good morning to
you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning, nice to speak to you.
McCLUSKY:
Prime Minister, can I ask you, your endorsement yesterday of the
eastern seaboard plan, a lot of people I think in Adelaide have
seen, not quite as a snub, but perhaps don't understand the
rationale behind it. What was your rationale for endorsing it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the reaction particularly from the Adelaide Advertiser
this morning is very strange. That paper and others seem to have
forgotten that the Federal Government has pledged $100 million to
support the Darwin to Alice Springs railway. We haven't pledged
any money to support the inland rail network. That is an entirely
private sector-sponsored proposal and it's been around for
quite a long time.
McCLUSKY:
It has.
PRIME MINISTER:
It didn't suddenly materialised out of thin air over the last
few days. In fact the group which includes representatives of people
who have had both Labor and Coalition affiliations in the past was
put together several years ago. Ultimately these things will be
determined by customers and by investors and in any event there's
a complementarity between, the two mesh in together. The Tennant
Creek to Darwin leg of the Darwin to Alice Springs railway will
be in common with this other network if the latter comes to fruition
so, can I just say to anybody who thinks that in some way what the
Federal Government has done by, as it were generally sponsoring
this latest proposal that that's a snub to South Australia,
that is quite wrong. We've put dollars into, $100 million,
and I'm in fact the first Prime Minister of Australia to pledge
Federal Government money and to really deliver on that pledge.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, can I ask you though in terms of timing, as you say
this is not a new proposal. It has been around. We've spoken
to Everald Compton too over a number of times. But in terms of timing,
I mean the Bob Katters of the world and certainly the Opposition
is saying that this is simply a matter, a knee jerk reaction to
the strengths of the One Nation showing in the recent Queensland
State election. Is that a fair comment?
PRIME MINISTER:
No it's not. It's completely wrong. And I gather from
the reaction of Senator Bolkus that Mr Beazley and the Labor Party
are opposed to the latest proposal. I mean obviously they are because
Mr Bolkus who's the Shadow Minister, I heard him on the radio
slamming the latest proposal saying it was crazy, saying it was
wrong, therefore I take it that the Australia Labor Party is against
the proposal that was announced yesterday. It is against private
sector investors and the Australian public supporting a proposal
that would build a rail network right through Australia. Now that's
a very interesting declaration from the Labor Party and they can't
have it both ways.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, is it therefore coincidental that this does obviously
run through those very sensitive seats where One Nation had a very
strong showing?
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely because it was always intended that it run through those
seats. Well I'm sorry, I mean let's just get it straight.
This proposal has been around for several years.
McCLUSKY:
It has.
PRIME MINISTER:
And you yourself have just admitted that you know that and you
acknowledge that and it has always been the case that it would run
through these areas. A new route for the railway hasn't been
invented in the ten days that have followed the Queensland election
if that is the point that you are getting at.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, can I ask you then, given that it has been around for
a while, is there any reason why you would not endorsed this earlier?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because the agreement that was signed between the Board that was
sponsoring the proposal and the company that is willing to put together
the consortium was only signed on Monday, on Friday of last week
and that had nothing whatever to do with the timing of the Queensland
election. What happened was that the Board reached an agreement
and then as Mr Compton said on radio this morning, he then came
along and said would I mind announcing it on behalf of the Board
and I was quite happy to do so. Now I had absolutely no control,
or no influence, over the timing of that agreement.
Could I just say that I think it's a terrific idea and I cannot
understand the negative reaction of the Australia Labor Party. I
mean here we have the possibility that you will have built through
Australia a network that could revitalise regional areas of Australia.
It could generate tens of thousands of jobs throughout Australia.
And what is the reaction of the Labor Party? It's against it.
Now Mr Beazley cannot have it both ways. He cannot allow Senator
Bolkus, the most senior member of the Labor Party from South Australia,
a member of his Shadow Cabinet, one of his closest confidants, slamming
the proposal and then he himself saying well, if it comes out we'll
be in favour of it. Mr Beazley doesn't want the jobs that this
project might generate in regional Australia. His South Australian
henchman, Senator Bolkus, has said so. I'm amazed at that.
I mean this project is still subject to a feasibility study. Whether
it comes off will depend entirely on the results of that but for
the Labor Party to be against it beggars belief.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, can I ask you though? I mean obviously the crucial question
is and very simply, is there room for two rail links? Can both of
them be viable and do you have any preference?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that would be decided by the investors and the public. It
won't be decided by me. Governments aren't very good at
making commercial decisions. Look at what happened in South Australia
with your State Bank.
McCLUSKY:
No doubt about that.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is precisely my point and that is where Mr Beazley and
Senator Bolkus are wrong because it is for the investors of South
Australia, not only South Australia but Australia to make that decision.
As far as we're concerned we have put $100 million into the
Darwin to Alice Springs railway. I'm the first Prime Minister
to seriously commit myself to building the Darwin to Alice Springs
railway, that remains our position. We will continue all of the
support that we have pledged in the past. Any suggestion that yesterday's
announcement negates that is wrong. I mean we've put $100 million
into Darwin...
McCLUSKY:
We appreciate that.
PRIME MINISTER:
...and we haven't put anything into the other one yet Mr Beazley
and Senator Bolkus and others are running around you know, with
their doom saying, we don't like this. I mean, they really
should be a bit more positive about Australia's future.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, can I ask you though, does it rankle with you that now
every move you make, every announcement you make will somehow be
thrown or discussed in the light of a reaction to One Nation? Is
that the position you now find yourself in?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is the attitude that some people in the media have taken.
I watched the ABC television news last night for example, and the
reaction from that was just quite extraordinary. I don't think
it's the reaction of the Australian public. The Australian
public has a deep hunger for national development projects. There
is a deep yearning in the hearts of all Australians to see this
vast nation of ours developed.
McCLUSKY:
So at the moment you're a bit damned if you do and damned
if you don't by the sounds of it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't really care in the end what the reaction of some
sections of the media is. I know what is good for Australia. I believe
in the Darwin to Alice Springs railway. That's why the Government
that I lead committed $100 million towards it, something that no
other Government since Federation has been willing to do and I am
also encouraging this other project. Now whether it comes off will
be determined by the investing public of Australia. It will be determined
by the feasibility study but let's have a go. Let's not
be so negative. Let's not, like Mr Beazley and Senator Bolkus,
throw a bucket of cold water on every idea that comes up from visionary
Australians to try and develop the regional areas of this country.
PILKINGTON:
Prime Minister, any election date as yet? I know you get asked
the question 150 times a day...
PRIME MINISTER:
You won't do any better than anybody else I am sorry.
McCLUSKY:
Well I suppose we can try. Mr Howard, as you say, I suppose the
big difference here is it is simply a matter of....
PILKINGTON:
No, the Prime Minister is saying no, he hasn't made up his
mind on an election date yet.
McCLUSKY:
Of course they have. The big difference here, of course, is that
you have made a financial commitment to the Adelaide-to-Darwin link.
There is not at this stage a financial commitment from the Federal
Government. Is there likely to be a financial commitment to the
other project?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we haven't been asked for one. I have made a financial
commitment on behalf of the Government to Darwin-to-Alice Springs
and it is very well advanced and I hope it comes off but that is
ultimately for the groups. It's ultimately for those who are
going to make the investment decisions but nobody will be able to
say that the Government, the Coalition Government wasn't willing
to put its money where its mouth has been and where the mouths of
many other Federal politicians have been. We've put the money
up. No Prime Minister before me was willing to do that.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, I know you are very busy.....
PRIME MINISTER:
No, it's all right.
McCLUSKY:
And I know our time is limited. Can I ask you though have you been
surprised by the strength of this reaction to Pauline Hanson and
that one name that I am sure must haunt just about every politician
of the two major parties?
PRIME MINISTER:
Their vote in Queensland was bigger than I expected. I understand
the reasons why it has happened and I sympathise with the concerns
of many of the people who have voted for the One Nation Party. I
don't agree with One Nation's policies. I don't agree
with the way in which on some issues they play to bigotry and prejudice
and that is wrong and I will oppose that very strongly. And I don't
believe that their economic solutions will help, they will make
things worse. The idea that you would print money, for example,
would send inflation up and if you have high inflation the value
of savings held by retired people in particular will be reduced.
So I say to retired Australians who might be seduced by some of
One Nation's policies, that particular policy will destroy
the value of your savings.
McCLUSKY:
Mr Howard, does it concern you though because it seems that this
very strong swing to Pauline Hanson and One Nation really rides
on the back of a concern that the Australian public is saying our
politicians aren't listening to us, they don't understand
us. Do you think that's fair? I mean the perception is that
our politicians are not sympathetic to the average working man and
woman.
PRIME MINISTER:
There is some element of truth in the proposition that the strong
support One Nation got was a reaction against existing political
parties. I accept that. Of course in time One Nation will be seen
as it is, as another political party and the novelty of One Nation
will wear off and the transient appeal of them being so called non-politicians,
which they are not, will also wear off. I think there is a message
and I accept that and there are some of the things about the conduct
of Federal politics that the public doesn't like. I think the
confrontational style turns a lot of people off.
McCLUSKY:
They see it as arrogance too, I think.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the perception is important. I am not an arrogant person and
I don't believe a lot of people in Federal politics are arrogant.
And I say that in all charity on both sides but of course I, as
Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party, I listen. I also
stand by what I believe in. And the worst thing to do in the wake
of the Queensland election is to change all of your policies because
that will only strengthen the hand of One Nation. You've got
to have the willingness and the strength to say: yes, I'll
listen on this, I'll change that but I am not going to alter
the course that I believe is good for Australia. And that is the
response that I have given and I'll continue to give.
McCLUSKY:
So Mr Howard, in a nutshell I suppose, the headline PM on
the Wrong Track' is not right then?
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely. The Prime Minister is absolutely on track in respect
of both of these great projects and I finish by saying that I am
the first Prime Minister since Federation to commit the dollars
of the Australian tax payer to the construction of the Darwin-to-Alice
Springs railway and that commitment remains rock solid. But I am
also, unlike Mr Beazley, willing to entertain other visionary projects
that would bring tens of thousands of jobs to rural and regional
Australia.
PILKINGTON:
All right Prime Minister, nice to have you on the number one morning
talkshow in Adelaide. Thank you for your time.
McCLUSKY:
And hopefully we will chat again.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thanks a lot.
[END]