E&OE....................................................................................................
MUNROE:
Prime Minister, thanks for your time. If we could just start with
drugs firstly. What's the message you want to send drug addicts,
to give up or to go to jail?
PRIME MINISTER:
Take treatment. And what we're saying to people is that, isn't
it better to take treatment than run the risk of being caught up in
the criminal justice system. That's the alternative we're
offering people.
MUNROE:
So how do you make treatment compulsory?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, what you basically say is, the police apprehend somebody and
rather than sending them off to be charged, they send them off for
assessment and the assessment panel say you should undertake such
and such a treatment. And the person is given the option undertake
that treatment or alternatively run the risk of being caught up in
the criminal justice system. Now, in most cases people will opt for
the treatment. They won't be forced to take the treatment but
it will certainly be a more attractive option.
MUNROE:
The Leader of the Opposition says that that's just political
babble when it comes to a chronic drug addict who won't be able
to decide, really, what he or she wants to do.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, some people won't, but a lot will. And a lot will be guided
by their families, a lot will be guided by their friends. We calculate
that this initiative will make available 300,000 treatment places
over a period of four years. On its own it's not going to solve
the problem, and it's easy to score points off it if you want
to be negative, but it is another contribution to fighting a very
difficult problem.
MUNROE:
Now, if treatment is better than punishment, as you've indicated,
why then did you support the expulsion of those young girls at the
private college who were caught smoking marijuana? Why not assess
them, treat them?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, for a very simple reason. The rules of the school forbade the
use of drugs and I applaud any school that enforces its rules. I'm
not running around saying that every single person who's ever
used drugs should be punished. And I am saying that if you're
going to inculcate an attitude of not tolerating drugs in schools
when a school's rules say no drugs' and somebody
defies those rules the school has got a right to take action and I
support that and I think most parents watching this programme would
agree with me.
MUNROE:
And set the example.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
MUNROE:
Now, not all State leaders support you on your zero tolerance policy.
Will any of the new money be withheld if State leaders do not fully
come on board with the Commonwealth?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, put aside nomenclature like zero tolerance.' That's
an argument about words. This diversionary system that we're
arguing has got nothing to do with whether you zero tolerance or some
other description. What we're going to do is to fund additional
treatment places. We'll work with the States, use their police
forces apprehending people, send them off for assessment. When the
people are assessed they have the option of being treated or caught
up in the criminal justice system. The great bulk of those people
will opt for the treatment. Many of them will be improved, a lot will
be rehabilitated. Now, isn't that better than what we've
got at the moment.
MUNROE:
And just on to the GST, Prime Minister. Your own Treasury official
dropped a bombshell yesterday saying that the 1.5 per cent over inflation
extra for pensioners will eventually be eroded.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, he didn't say that.
MUNROE:
Eroded in time, I think he said.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, look, there was no bombshell dropped. Look, the situation
here is that we promised that every pensioner would have his pension
increased by the cost of living plus at least 1.5 per cent, at least
1.5 per cent. Now, nothing that was said yesterday alters that situation.
We also have a situation where every pensioner is guaranteed 25 per
cent of male average weekly earnings. Now if, as a result of that,
the pensioners end up even better off, why should people complain.
MUNROE:
And you don't think price rises will erode that buffer zone?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, price rises can't because the price rises drive the CPI and
our guarantee is that you'll always be 1.5 per cent ahead of
the CPI.
MUNROE:
You only have three months to get it through before the Democrats
take power in the Senate. Are you still as optimistic of getting it
through?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'm more optimistic today because you've had every
government in Australia effectively saying to the Senate, get on with
it. I mean, when you get Bob Carr, Labor, Peter Beattie, Labor, Jim
Bacon, Labor, Jeff Kennett, Liberal, Richard Court, Liberal, John
Olsen, Liberal, all signing up and saying this is the best financial
deal the States have ever had, the best since World War II, that sends
a very strong message to the Senate which, after all, is meant to
be a States' House. I mean, you've now got the Federal Government,
you've got the governments of the States and Territories, more
importantly you've got the verdict of the Australian people last
October, and all of those are saying to the Senate: get on with it,
let's implement this tax plan. The Australian people supported
it, the Premiers have endorsed it, they want it because their State
will be better off. Let's get on with it and go onto something
else.
MUNROE:
And do you still need Senator Brian Harradine or has Senator Colston
come around a little?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, what Senator Colston ultimately does is his decision as is Senator
Harradine's. Senator Colston made representations to us today
about the deal for Queensland and that played a part in the decision
we made. We reached a compromise with the Queensland Premier and I
acknowledge that. In the end they'll make up their own minds.
Obviously we need one of them at least with the other abstaining or
both of them voting for us in order to get the plan through and I
hope that will happen. But I also say to the Labor Party and the Democrats,
listen to the public, listen to the Premiers. They can't all
be wrong. I say to Kim Beazley, Bob Carr has just won an election,
he is the most successful Labor leader in the nation and he signed
up today. Peter Beattie has just won an election. They know the pulse
of their people and their people are saying, get on with it let's
not spend the rest of our lives arguing over the GST.
MUNROE:
You're pretty chuffed about today's Premiers' Conference.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am. It's the best Premiers' Conference I have been to
for 20 years ever in my political life because it's done something
of lasting value for the future of the Australian federation. It's
given the federation a new hope and a new opportunity for a new century
and I am chuffed about it and I am very proud of what the Government
has been able to achieve and what the Treasurer and I together have
been able to achieve.
MUNROE:
Mr Howard, just briefly on the tragedy in Kosovo and the refugees.
Given that the first refugees already arrive late next week and how
rushed it has been for everybody, do you have any second thoughts
about them coming?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't, none at all. It was always going to be rushed because
it was an unexpected emergency situation. And the army and the immigration
authorities have responded magnificently. I don't have any second
thoughts at all, not at all.
MUNROE:
And do you think we that we could be actually helping Milosevic with
this ethnic cleansing by bringing them here?
PRIME MINISTER:
We would run the risk of doing that if we had straight away said they
were going to be able to remain here permanently and there was no
prospect of them ever going back. But we are human beings, we are
a compassionate nation. We could not have sat on our hands in the
face of that enormous mountain of human misery. It would have shamed
us if we had have done so.
MUNROE:
And yet your Immigration Minister and Foreign Minister wanted to do
so.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, that's not right. All they were doing was giving an immediate
response within then current policy. And, I mean, be fair. This first
became a possibility early Monday morning, by lunchtime Tuesday we
had made a decision to take 4,000. You can't act any more quickly
than that. And all Philip was doing was responding within current
policy and he is a magnificent Immigration Minister and he has my
total support.
MUNROE:
Fair enough, fair enough. So is your bottom line that the Kosovo refugees
will definitely be going back?
PRIME MINISTER:
We want them to go back. We hope they will go back, we hope conditions
are restored so they can go back. We are obviously not going to push
them into the sea at the end of three or six months. We are a compassionate
people but we want maximum pressure put on Milosevic so that they
can go back and that's our goal.
MUNROE:
And as you may know the two CARE Australia aid workers have been found.
Yugoslavia says they know they have them. Are we in a position to
demand their release?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, in a situation like this you try everything. You ask, you demand,
you request, you get people to intercede on your behalf. And I can
say to their families if they are watching tonight that we care about
them and we are trying very hard using every means that are at our
disposal to get them back and along with you we pray that they'll
be safely returned.
MUNROE:
Prime Minister, thanks very much for your time and we appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]