E&OE................................................................................................
MILLER:
Prime Minister good morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning John. Nice to talk to you again.
MILLER:
Good to talk to you too. I hope it's as pleasant a day in Canberra
as it is in Brisbane today.
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a beautiful day. I went for a walk this morning and it's
one of those stunning autumn days in Canberra.
MILLER:
Okay, well we've got the same here. Let's get into it. What
was the catalyst that made the Government change its mind on accepting
4000 refugees from what I call the Yugoslav holocaust'?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well this is a tragedy which is above what I might call the normal
tragedies. The mass movement of people involved is the largest in
Europe since World War II. And Cabinet came to the view yesterday
after a lengthy discussion that Australia had a strong moral obligation
to play its part. Even though we were breaking new policy ground,
even though Australia is a long way from Yugoslavia, even though Australia
is not a NATO country, Australia is by the standards of the world
a relatively affluent, prosperous, successful country. It's very
stable. We have a proud humanitarian record of providing a home and
a haven for displaced people, for people thrown out of their homes
by war. And this applied particularly at the end of World War II.
Now this is a special case and we felt the right thing to do was not
to be hide bound by previous policy, correct though it was in most
circumstances, and remains in most circumstances. But because of the
special character we needed a special response. It's as simple
as that.
MILLER:
Well given that it, as you say, is breaking new ground. I mean there's
a lot of areas that are going to have to be covered here. We are talking
about what I would believe to be the largest ever single intake of
people into this country, the largest ever arrival into this country
as we say in one hit. Now obviously that's going to raise some
pretty serious issues, as you say they're not going to be able
to stay here permanently, it's going to raise some pretty serious
issues about security.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh John, although it's a large number I don't know that
it's true to say it's the largest single number arriving
in one hit. I mean the 4000 obviously all won't come together.
And because it's an emergency situation we have to provide an
emergency response, and I don't beat about the bush in saying
that many of the details are still being worked out. But that's
understandable. Three weeks ago, even two weeks ago, even ten days
ago, this wasn't on the horizon. So therefore there's no
way in which people can turn around and say why weren't you ready
for it. We have to get ready in a special situation and we have people
working on that already. Of course there will be difficulties and
there'll be criticisms, and there'll be people saying you're
doing too much, you're doing too little. I accept all of that
but in the end you either provide some help and you provide a home
and a haven on a temporary basis for people or you turn your back
on them. Now I'm not prepared to see Australia turn its back
on these people. Most Australians would not want to turn our collective
back on these people. We of course are making it clear they are here
temporarily. They are here as guests of the Australian people. They'll
be provided with accommodation, they'll be provided with food,
they'll be provided with medical attention, and they'll
be provided with the basic necessities of life. Naturally we don't
want a situation to arise where taking them is seen as some kind of
victory for Milosevic. That is why they're being taken on a temporary
basis. And it's a basic part of the decision and I discussed
this yesterday with the Opposition Leader Mr Beazley, that when Parliament
comes back we will enact special legislation with effect from yesterday
making it clear that these people are not entitled while they're
in Australia to seek permanent residence or some status change, nor
are they entitled to seek social security benefits. In other words
they are to be legally isolated from the existing refugee and immigration
stream because of the special character of the arrangement. Now, I
think in all the circumstances Australia has clearly done the right
thing. We have an immigration policy which for most situations is
appropriate. In this special situation we needed a special response
and that's the decision that the Government took yesterday and
I believe Australians will support it because they are warm-hearted
decent caring people who feel with me that we do have a moral obligation
to help in this appalling disaster. This shameful mass movement, mass
expulsion of people from their homes on the basis of their race, this
racial persecution being practiced against the Albanians in Kosovo.
MILLER:
Well it is text book genocide as I've often said on this programme.
Now given that we are, and I agree with you, that most fair minded
Australians would say that we are doing the right thing here. Can
you also understand the concern amongst Australians I'm sure,
that these people do not bring with them violence and hatred? I mean
we have seen the violent demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne by
the Serbian community. Do you believe for example that those people
were adequately brought to account for those demonstrations?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look, I don't, having not personally witnessed the demonstrations
I can't answer that. I can say though that I publicly condemn
the demonstrations. My view, and I 0believe the view of all Australians,
most Australians, on this is very simple. People have a right to peacefully
demonstrate in this country. And I can understand any Australian of
Serbian descent, particularly those who were born in Serbia, being
concerned about what is happening in their former homeland. That is
only human. But I can also say on behalf of the rest of the Australian
community that we are not interested in the importation into this
country of the hatreds of other nations and that applies in relation
to Serbians, it relies in relation to Ireland, it applies in relation
to the countries of Asia. And it is one thing to respect the diverse
heritage of the Australian people, it is entirely another thing to
extend that respect to the importation of the political differences
of other lands. By and large Australians are not interested in those
political differences, and particularly in relation to people of different
ethnicities who have been born in this country. Australia is their
homeland. It is a little different for somebody who actually participated
in the appalling things that took place in parts of Europe during
World War II. If you've actually lived through those and participated
in it, it's very understandable that you'll carry those
memories with you to your grave. But it's an entirely different
situation in relation to your children. They've been born in
this country. They are of a different generation, a different experience.
MILLER:
Prime Minister, just back again, and I know as you've stressed
it's early days yet in the planning of how this is all going
to be handled, but we are talking about as I understand it putting
these people possibly onto camps on defence installations. Will they
then be under the care of members of the armed forces in terms of
security, Making sure that they stay where we want them to stay?
PRIME MINISTER:
John, all of those things are in the course of being considered and
worked out today, and in subsequent days. I'm not going to try
and preempt what the outcome is. It is just not possible, given that
this is an emergency situation, for any group of human beings to have
all the answers straight away. Now I just can't answer that question
and I'm not going to try and answer it because the answer I give
may be wrong. We only took the decision yesterday. The emergency only
arose over the weekend. It was only over the weekend. Other countries
talked about taking people. We have responded very speedily. We are
working away now in relation to all of the details and as and when
they become clear and we've taken decisions we'll make announcements.
MILLER:
Sure, and I might get you back to talk about those when they happen.
Just quickly before we go, you have the Premiers coming to see you
on Friday. One of the key things is going to be the issue of addressing
this national drug plague that we have. Peter Beattie on my programme
this morning was saying he's going to be pushing for trials of
naltrexone, and another detox drug here in Queensland. And he's
also backing the idea of heroin trials in the ACT and Victoria. Do
you see those sort of things as having any merit?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well naltrexone is already on prescription. I don't know whether
he's misunderstood that or not. But naltrexone is already on
prescription. The question in relation to naltrexone is whether its
approval on the pharmaceutical benefits list can be fast tracked or
subsidised and the Government is examining that at the moment. And
I could have something to say about that on Friday at the Premiers'
Conference. I will be indicating a series of new initiatives to the
Premiers. I hope they will support them. The Federal Government has
already put just under $300 million nationally into its Tough on Drugs
strategy. We'll be proposing a number of new measures. We need
the cooperation of the States. I'd like to focus on Friday on
those areas where there is common ground between the Federal Government
and the States. As far as heroin trials are concerned I think what
Mr Beattie is saying is that he's backing a heroin trial in somebody
else's State. I don't think he's saying he's backing
a heroin trial in Queensland. With great respect, I mean he either
is for or against a heroin trial. I've made it very plain that
we don't support heroin trials. I'm quite prepared to state
my position. I'm quite prepared to say I am against a heroin
trial, and the Federal Government is against a heroin trial, and we
will not amend the Federal narcotics legislation to allow the importation
of pharmaceutical grade heroin to facilitate a trial anywhere in Australia.
Now that is our position. We're not trying to sort of bob and
weave on this and have two bob each way. We are against a heroin trial.
Now I think Mr Beattie's against a heroin trial in Queensland.
I'm not sure whether he's against a heroin trial in the
ACT or Victoria. Frankly that's his business, that's his
concern. He is talking about trialling another drug. We'll have
a look at that. We're prepared to consider any reasonable suggestions
from the Queensland Government. We naturally expect the Queensland
Government to carry its share of the burden. The Federal Government
is not going to pick up the tab for everything. The States have got
to play their part and this particularly applies to treatment of addicts
because that historically has been entirely a State responsibility.
It's only in the last little while that the Commonwealth came
into that area. That's always in the past been the responsibility
of the States. Now if there have been deficiencies in that area it's
not been our fault. But we are now entering that field and I announced
a lot of money in that area a few weeks ago. But I have got some more
proposals to put and I'll be communicating those to the Premiers
and there'll be more about that very soon. Watch this space so
to speak.
MILLER:
Sure. Well just on that subject, and very briefly if we may, will
these proposals move the focus somewhat from treating the drug problem
purely as a health issue to treating it as a criminal issue? In other
words will we have more focus on enforcement?
PRIME MINISTER:
You can't have an exclusive focus on one aspect. You need a three
pronged approach. You need education, you need tough law enforcement
against the traffickers, and you need treatment, particularly for
people who want to break the habit. And we have tried with our Tough
on Drugs Strategy to focus in an equal fashion on those three areas
without giving priority to one against the other two. And what I say
on Friday to the Premiers will be of a peace with the approach that
we've adopted over the past 12 months. I mean our $290 million
Tough on Drugs strategy includes resources for additional police and
customs. It includes money for education in schools. And it includes
more money for treatment. Now that's tackling it in a balanced
sensible fashion.
MILLER:
Prime Minister, thanks for your time this morning. Talk to you again
soon.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]