E&OE..........................................................
PRIME MINISTER:
Ladies and gentlemen, the good news today is that there's
been a further 20-odd thousand jobs generated in Australia. Since
the Government came to office we've presided over the creation
of 293 000 additional jobs in Australia and that shows that there
is a very strong response in the Australian economy to the economic
measures that we've taken. Despite the downturn in Asia there
is still great resilience and vigour in the labour market in Australia
and a further 20-odd thousand jobs created last month is very good
news indeed. Now, I'd be very happy to answer any questions.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Kennett has signalled that he might be interested in federal
politics. What's your response?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'd welcome him. That is a matter for him. I think Jeff
Kennett has been a very fine Premier of Victoria. I respect a lot
the work that he has done. If he were to decide at some stage in
the near, medium, or distant future to go into federal politics,
well, I certainly wouldn't discourage him, but that is a matter
for him.
JOURNALIST:
Is he the kind of person that you'd consider putting in a
senior position on the front bench?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, let's wait until he arrives Fleur.
JOURNALIST:
Are you concerned Prime Minister about the problems that Mr Kroger
is having with Jeff Kennett?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I'm not, I have no comment to make on organisational
matters.
JOURNALIST:
Is it up to people like Michael Kroger to be advising politicians
where they should go, for career advice?
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister how confident are you that you'll get the Telstra
package through the Senate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it is a matter for the independents. I'm confident that
the Government Senators will see the wisdom of supporting it. I
never count my chickens before they are hatched when it comes to
the Senate because the Government has never had the numbers to control
the Senate. It is always difficult to get anything that is mildly
different or mildly new through the Senate. That's one of the
problems that the Government has had. We have this huge majority
in the House of Representatives, but we've never had control
of the Senate. I will just keep working away, I will keep talking
to people and I am hopeful, because if we can get it through it
will be terrific news for people all around Australia. I mean it
is in the interests of Australia that we do get this privatisation
through because out of the proceeds of the privatisation we'll
be able to do things that we wouldn't otherwise be able to
do. It will massively reduce Australia's debt. I mean, if we
can get Telstra fully privatised, we will get the debt monkey off
the younger generation in the 21st Century. That's the benefit
for Australia, getting the debt monkey off the back of the younger
generation of Australia as we go into the 21st Century.
JOURNALIST:
Senator Colston and Senator Harradine are both on the record now
as saying they oppose the full privatisation. How do you rate your
chances then of getting it through the Senate?
PRIME MINISTER:
I never give running commentaries. I always let the comments of
others go by and wait the final vote.
JOURNALIST:
Are you still committed to the full privatisation after you've
talked with the National Party?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, more money for improved mobile services in the bush.
Will that be enough to win the rural vote and ensure that the National
Party heartland will back the plan?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the announcement that Tim Fischer made this morning is the
breakthrough on analogue phones in the bush that everybody has been
wanting and I congratulate Telstra on the decision that's been
taken. Tim has explained the details and I'll leave that to
him, but it is, as I understand it, the breakthrough that people
have been wanting.
JOURNALIST:
Can we have a comment on the publication on the names and addresses
of One Nation members today?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was probably a counter-productive thing to have done. I understand
and respect the Jewish community's feelings on a lot of matters.
I don't think there's anybody in Australian politics who
holds the Jewish community in Australia in higher esteem but it
was probably a counter-productive decision and I think that's
probably now acknowledged.
JOURNALIST:
Is that indicative of the way the federal election will go do you
think?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Christopher Skase...(inaudible).. should he now return home to
face the music?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think everybody would like that to happen. I think the
most sensible thing for anybody who's got any sort of public
position on this matter is to be careful what they say in case any
prejudice is done to legal proceedings in Spain. It is easy for
people to make clever remarks at the moment over Christopher Skase.
We all want him back in Australia. We all want him to face justice,
but it is incumbent upon me, on members of my Government and on
members of the Opposition not to score political points. Political
point-scoring in the past has damaged the prospects of getting him
home and I don't want to see that happen again. I'm pleased
that a step has been taken that brings him closer to justice. I
don't want to prejudice what might happen in the future by
saying anything else. And I don't think anybody else should
either, be they in politics or in the media or anywhere else. If
you want him home, you'll understand the legal sensitivities
of these sorts of proceedings and these situations and all of us
should act with a sense of responsibility.
Thank you.
[ENDS]