Subjects: Rick Hammersley Centre, Regional Forest Agreement, Swiss
Canyoning Tragedy,
E&OE.............
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, is this an example of the type of facility for recovering
drug addicts that the Government is in favour of?
PRIME MINISTER:
It certainly is. There's no one perfect model facility but this, from
what I've seen, is a great facility. It gives the clients, the people
who have a problem, a sense of security and support. I talked to them
for a while, as you saw, and the message that I got that I remember
most of all is that they have a sense of security and safety here
and that's tremendously important. As I freely acknowledge, I'm not
a doctor, I'm not a clinical psychologist. I try and bring a common-sense
understanding. And it seems to me if you provide people with stability
and a sense of safety and security they have a much better chance
of breaking a habit than if they're living in a stressful, constantly
challenged, kind of environment. Now, that seems to me to be common
sense. And it seems that this is precisely that kind of facility.
JOURNALIST:
This facility allows mothers who are rehabilitating themselves to
bring their children here while they dry out or get better, do you
think that's a bit dangerous to let children.?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I hesitate to criticise it, I really do. After all, isn't it
common sense that as much as possible young children should not be
separated from their parents? It seems to me that the more you keep
them together the greater contentment there is on the part of the
mother or father with the problem and therefore the greater likelihood
that that person will be able to break the habit.
JOURNALIST:
So it's the theory that they've seen the bad habits so they might
as well see the getting better?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was thinking more of the mental state of the person who's trying
to break the habit. But the whole ambience of a place like this is
anti-drugs, providing people with help and support and incentive and
encouragement to get out of the problem.
JOURNALIST:
It's a very different programme to the safe injecting rooms which
are being trialled or about to be trialled in New South Wales. Is
the Government changing its position on that particular type of facility?
PRIME MINISTER:
Which facility?
JOURNALIST:
The one in New South Wales, the safe injecting rooms
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that's a decision of the New South Wales' Government which I
don't support. But I don't have any control over it because those
sorts of things are within the jurisdiction of the State government.
But I certainly find the approach of this centre and the whole atmosphere
and the whole ambience of it very positive, very encouraging. I'm
not saying it's the only way that you can handle it but it seems to
me to have all of the ingredients. It provides people with stability
and security and safety and people are around willing to help. There
are three things you need to do in tackling drugs. You need to educate
people against starting. You need to pursue the criminals with all
the means at your disposal. And you also need to provide people who
are addicted with support and hope of rehabilitation and cure and
that's what the Rick Hammersley Centre, as it is from today, provides,
from what I've seen, in a very impressive fashion.
JOURNALIST:
You also don't support Richard Court and the RFA changes. What will
you be telling the Liberals this weekend at the Party conference?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't given any thought to my speech yet.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, things I say behind the scenes stay behind the scenes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, on that score you said this morning that your first
priority was saving jobs in regional Australia. With regard to the
timber decision, I mean, what assurances can you give to people in
the south-west in that industry that no further jobs will be lost?
PRIME MINISTER:
I thought the Regional Forest Agreement provided the best and most
balanced outcome between the competing interests for job security
and job generation for the timber workers and care and concern for
the environment and I still would like to see that agreement adhered
to. That's my position. If it's not adhered to and there are further
restraints placed on the timber industry then more jobs could be lost.
And I continue to argue for the maintenance of the forest agreement,
what I thought was a sensible balance. This is a difficult issue and
I don't underestimate the pressures that are upon all of us. But you
can't do other than try and strike a fair balance and that's what
I thought the Regional Forest Agreement represented and that's why
we put a lot of extra money into it. We ended up doubling the money
that we originally offered. We went a long way towards accommodating
the views of the State government in the Regional Forest Agreement
and that's why I am sorry that that Regional Forest Agreement has
not been adhered to by the State government.
JOURNALIST:
Apart from lobbying Premier Court [inaudible] is there anything the
Federal Government can do because the timber workers will be calling
on you to do something? What position are.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we will, of course, honour our part of the bargain and I think
if everybody else adhered to it the outcome would be better.
JOURNALIST:
When will the $15 million be injected into the economy there?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it'll be injected in accordance with the agreement.
JOURNALIST:
Are you disappointed with the State Coalition, the Western Australian
Coalition?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, I've been asked that question before, you know my position.
We support the agreement very strongly.
JOURNALIST:
You talk about regional jobs. The gentlemen over there wants to raise
the issue of the wine tax. One of the other strong industries in the
south-west is the wine industry and yet they say the premium wine
industry will be very disadvantaged by the steps that you've taken
in that area.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the total impact on the industry throughout Australia is not
that.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask about Switzerland. It's starting to come out - details about
the families and the people affected by that tragedy over there. I
think the Swiss authorities are talking about having a service, a
commemorative service. Can you tell us what the Australian Government
is doing at the moment in response to that tragedy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, as far as the service is concerned, if there is such a service
organised obviously Australia will be represented at a very senior
level. When we know the exact details and when it's taking place then
we'll say something further about that representation. Obviously it's
an awful tragedy. It's left the entire nation very saddened. It's
always particularly heart wrenching when young lives are lost, hope
cut off and futures denied and great sadness on their families. And
quite plainly the Government will provide any proper assistance that
is needed in relation to the identification. But I think that process
is underway and we obviously will provide and are continuing to provide,
through our embassy and our consulate, people in Switzerland all the
help that we can.
JOURNALIST:
Would you consider attending yourself?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think it depends a bit on what the arrangements are. I think
it's fair to say, and it will be made known later, that we'll be represented
at a very senior level.
[Ends]