Subjects: Regional Summit, rural transaction centres, republic referendum,
Alice Springs to Darwin rail link, Australian defence industries.
E&OE.............
KNIGHTS:
Prime Minister John Howard joins me from his new studio in Sydney. Prime
Minister, good afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good afternoon. It's hardly a studio. It's just a broadcast line.
KNIGHTS:
You should see mine.
PRIME MINISTER:
How are you?
KNIGHTS:
Very well. Thanks for coming on the programme. We'll of course talk about
the referendum but a couple of current issues I just want to come to you
first on. One of them was the Regional Summit. Now, this is still very fresh.
It was held in Canberra last week and I've been speaking to a number of
people about it, and I say well, what was it like, was it all worth it?
I suppose a lot of them are still making up their minds and waiting to see
what comes out of it. What do you think came out of it?
PRIME MINISTER:
The best thing that came out of it was that it was a very clear demonstration
that the Government and really the Government on behalf of the rest of the
community has crossed the Rubicon, so to speak, in recognising that there
is a big problem in rural and regional Australia, that there is a feeling
that people in country areas are missing out, are falling behind. And that
whilst we weren't able to deliver every solution and solve every problem
we committed ourselves to listen.
We announced a number of important initiatives including for regional South
Australia the Alice Springs to Darwin railway which will create 7,000 jobs
in regional Australia and generate 18 months work for the BHP steelworks
in Whyalla, the Rural Partnerships Trust that will be a joint effort by
the Government and private enterprise to provide resources for various activities.
The most valuable thing that people got from it was a realisation that we
are quite serious about, over time, trying to address some of the difficulties.
And during the Summit I had the opportunity of going to Eugowra in New South
Wales and announcing the first of the rural transaction centres. These are
the first of 500 centres that we're going to establish in the bush out of
the proceeds of the sale of the second tranche of Telstra. And this was
an old Westpac Bank building where we're going to co-locate basic banking
facilities, Centrelink, Medicare easy claim facilities, Internet facilities
and, of course, copying facilities. And it will act as quite a service hub
for a small country town. There's only 670 people in Eugowra. And this is
going to be repeated all around the country over the next year or two so
that when the programme is finished we will have established 500 of these
rural transaction centres and it's all about putting services back into
the bush.
So, I think my answer is that a lot was achieved. We demonstrated our genuine
concern. We told the people of rural Australia that we do understand their
sense of having been in some areas left out. We committed ourselves to a
number of projects that will bring jobs and investment and benefits. And
we launched the first of these rural transaction centres. So, quite a lot
has come out but gee there's a long way to go and I wouldn't like to represent
to any of your listeners that we think for a moment that we've solved all
the problems. And we're going to try very hard over the next few years to
stay in touch. I'm planning systematic visits to the bush. I've been doing
that now quite regularly since being Prime Minister and I'm going to maintain
it because we do understand the problems. And whilst we're not going to
satisfy everybody and answer every problem, we're going to try.
KNIGHTS:
There were obviously a lot of people there with a lot of background and
a lot of ideas about how to solve the problems that do exist in regional
Australia. Have you managed to have a look at any of those proposals and
are there any that you like?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it's too early for me to respond to that. The Summit's only been finished
a few days and they will all be evaluated by John Anderson and his colleagues.
But the fact that we were able, during the course of the Summit, to announce
such a major regional initiative as the completion of the railway and one
or two other smaller but, nonetheless, important initiatives illustrates
the fact that we are serious and we're not just into talk, although talk
is part of it. And John said to me that the thing that encouraged him most
out of the Summit was that people came away with a view that they didn't
expect the Government to do everything and they weren't looking at the Government
for support at every turn, they were looking to the Government for some
support, a partnership in some areas. Certainly a sympathetic ear and a
willingness to understand the feeling of alienation that many people in
rural Australia understandably feel. Because when the whole country is doing
well and you are not doing well then the sense of alienation is all the
greater than if the whole country were in recession and nobody, of course,
is looking for that. The point I am making is that, relatively speaking,
people who are missing out feel it very keenly at a time of national economic
affluence.
KNIGHTS:
And in the communiqu that was put out at the conclusion of the Summit there
was mention that there is still a problem with minimum standards of water,
of power of telecommunications in some areas.
PRIME MINISTER:
There is.
KNIGHTS:
Is that something you can make an immediate change to?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we are making changes all the time. I mean, with telecommunications
one of the advantages of selling Telstra is that we can use part of the
resources to upgrade the information technology and telecommunications facilities
in the bush. We have committed also in the Natural Heritage Trust we have
committed hundreds of millions of dollars out of the sale of Telstra to
help clean up the Murray Darling Basin which has a lot to do with the quality
of water. So there are many things that we can do with those sorts of resources
and the two are really linked. And that's one of the reasons we have argued
very strongly for the sale of Telstra providing we are satisfied that service
conditions for the country areas, that the wherewithal, or the proceeds
from the sale give us the wherewithal to make very heavy investments in
communications infrastructure for the bush.
KNIGHTS:
Do you think it's appropriate to say that there is a minimum standard for
these things that must be upheld.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I think, I am sorry.
KNIGHTS:
That at least there's a certain level of service of infrastructure that
must be supplied to all areas of Australia and it's the Government's responsibility
to provide it.
PRIME MINISTER:
The Government has a basic responsibility to provide a decent level of infrastructure.
In some areas it's reasonable and better for that to be provided in partnership,
in cooperation with the private sector. In other areas it has to be provided
completely by the Government. It's a proper role of Government to provide
infrastructure support. We recognise and understand that. The question of
what is the right level will always be a matter of debate but I don't regard
it as in any way a departure from the small government beliefs of the Liberal
Party and the National Party that the Government provide a lot of infrastructure.
It is part of our role and governments are answerable to the community in
the provision of certain levels of infrastructure.
KNIGHTS:
Just finally on the regional Summit, John Anderson was at pains to point
out that he did not want this to be seen as a talkfest so how then do you
measure the success of that event?
PRIME MINISTER:
I measure the success of the event from the feeling that people took away
that the Government was listening. Our primary purpose in having the Summit
was to listen and understand the problem. To try and work out those areas
where we could provide in the near to medium term some practical responses
and then over a longer term period provide some other responses. And I believe
we achieved that goal. People came away from the Summit feeling that it
had been a great success, that it had not just been a talkfest. That the
Government and in particular John Anderson as the convenor of the Summit
and Deputy Prime Minister had handled the thing with very great commitment
and concern and I think people went away feeling that it was a very worthwhile
exercise.
KNIGHTS:
Would you have another one?
PRIME MINISTER:
If we thought it would be helpful, yes. We are not committing ourselves
to one at a particular time but if in the fullness of time we thought it
was worthwhile to have another one we would. But it is a bit early to be
even speculating about that but we have no in-principle objection to it
at all.
KNIGHTS:
Well, one other issue, a local issue that is being resolutioned this week
is the sale of Australian defence industries. Now, ADI is going to be sold
to the Transfield Thomson - CSF Consortium and ADI, of course, has its branch
in Albury and Benalla and Mulwala and Bendigo. When you were negotiating
that sale did you seek assurances about the future of those plants and the
people who work there?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the statement that has been put out indicates that the Commonwealth
sold its shares for $346 million and it's regarded as a particularly good
price and it's my understanding that part of the sale involved the maintenance
of the core businesses of the Government in a number of those areas. So
we think.I mean, for example, the statement made by Mr Fahey and Mr Moore
says the joint venture has indicated its commitment to the continued operation
of ADI's existing core businesses of their current locations. In particular
it is expected that ADI's operations at Albury, Bendigo, Benalla, Lithgow,
Mulwala and Newcastle will continue and where commercially possible will
be strengthened by the development of new business activities presenting
opportunities for regional development.
KNIGHTS:
Is there anything to stop them shedding staff or closing plants?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we have a commitment to maintain the core business at particular locations
and obviously whilst I can't answer in respect of each and individual person,
that's just not feasible because people have to make business decisions,
obviously if they are going to maintain their operations at particular levels
they are not going to be closing the plants and if they are not going to
be closing the plants they'll have to maintain a certain number of employees.
KNIGHTS:
How much of a consideration was the fact that the Consortium is partly owned
by the French because I understand that France was reluctant to provide
munitions to Britain during the Falklands War because they objected to their
involvement?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that's a long shot. A long time ago. Well, I'm not concerned about
the fact that there's a French interest. They made the best bid and many
of the, I think the alternative, one of the alternative bidders may well
have had some involvement from another overseas country. So I'm not too
concerned about that.
KNIGHTS:
Well let's just talk about the issue that is right upon us. That of course
is the coming referendum. If it goes down do you believe people will stop
talking about it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think if it goes down, if it gets up, if it goes down, either way people
will give it a rest for a while. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
If it goes down I think it will not come down in a hurry. But it is a free
country. If people want to go on talking about it in the community there's
no reason why they shouldn't.
I mean there's nothing that says after the referendum on Saturday if it
is defeated, and I don't know whether it's going to be defeated, I think
it's going to be very close, much closer than the opinion polls suggest.
If it is defeated, if people in the community want to go on talking about
it well that's fine. This is a democracy. Equally if it gets up and people
want to continue to debate our constitution they're perfectly entitled to.
I would make the prediction that if the referendum is successful then there
won't ever be another referendum to give people the option of voting directly
for the president. I think that's a bit of a pipe dream. Bob Carr has rather
put the kybosh on that today when he said that if it got up he, and bear
in mind that he's been twice elected the Labor Premier of New South Wales,
gives him a bit of seniority in the Labor Party, that he would be totally
opposed to another ballot to allow for the election of a president. On the
other hand if it's defeated then I think it will go off the agenda for a
while, I don't think people are going to want to come back to it in a hurry.
As to what happens further down the track, I don't have any control over
that.
I mean this is a democracy, and people make judgements at particular times
according to what they think is good for the country. I'm advocating a no
vote because I think we have a very good system and I don't think the one
being put forward on Saturday will be better. I think it will be worse.
I think the president will be less secure under that system than is the
Governor-General under the current system. I don't think it will enhance
Australia's independence. I'm a person who believes in changing things that
don't work, but in preserving things that do work and that's essentially
why I'm advocating a no vote.
But I respect other people's views and it'll be a very interesting event.
And whatever the outcome is naturally as Prime Minister I will respect and
accept the views of the Australian people. I always said that I would give
the Australian people a vote on this issue even though I personally, for
the reasons I've mentioned, am opposed to it.
KNIGHTS:
Well these debates in the community often result in issues coming to a head
like this, that this referendum is the result of public discussion and the
public discussion is still there [inaudible] putting us back to the poll?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I can't answer that question now because we haven't had the first poll
yet. We haven't had the one on Saturday. I have no doubt that if the referendum
is defeated on Saturday that for a while at least people will say well we've
had a look at that, let's move on to something else. But that doesn't mean
that people who want an issue raised again can't continue to argue for it
to be raised. And that is right and proper because this is a democracy and
there's at no point, at no point in this country do you ever say to people
- well that is the end of the matter and you have no more right to agitate
for change or advocate for the thing to be recommitted.
I'm only saying that as Prime Minister and as leader of the Liberal Party
that the mood in the party, and I think the mood in the community in the
near term will be to say well we don't want to go back to that for a while.
Now whether in a few years time the community decides it does want to go
back to it, I can't predict. And if the community took that view than obviously
political parties would respond. But I don't know what the mood is going
be. I'm just saying that in the immediate term people are going to want
to give it a rest.
KNIGHTS:
Well should the referendum be lost, does the Government then come up with
a formal policy position on it or none at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we will have a view on the handling of constitutional change the point
is it will be a Government view. We've allowed a free vote on the issue
of a republic and that free vote will end on Saturday evening with the polling
booths close which is 6:00pm eastern daylight time in Victoria and New South
Wales. And from then on if there's to be any view it will be a single government
view and that will have to be formulated by the Cabinet. Speaking from my
position as Prime Minister I think the view will be that we'll move onto
other things, at least in the short term.
KNIGHTS:
Prime Minister, we'll leave it there. Thanks for your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
You're welcome.
[Ends]