E&OE.............................................................................................
Prime Minister and Mr Burton Shipley; Helen Clark, the Leader of the
Opposition; to the members of the New Zealand Cabinet, other distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Can I first of all, for myself and also my wife, Janette, thank you
Jenny and Burton for your very kind hospitality. We hadn't been
to Queenstown before. It's a lovely part of the world. I'm
not surprised that we ran into, it seemed to be hundreds of Australian
and English tourists. I felt on occasions as though I was engaging
in a bit of an election campaign. I was running into all these people,
particularly from Queensland. I really have enjoyed myself.
And can I also say that it's been an opportunity to do something
that I regard as very important and that is to take good care of this
very important and precious relationship. The great Dr Johnson counselled
us all to keep our friendships in good repair. And regular meetings
between the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand where we
talk in a friendly but open fashion are part of that process.
Australia and New Zealand have a very rich and endearing history.
We have shared a lot of difficult and a lot of triumphant experiences
in the past. But it is not a relationship that should be seen in terms
of the past only, important and precious though that is. It's
also a relationship that has a contemporary relevance and also has
a great future. The contemporary relevance is particularly found in
many of our shared economic experiences. New Zealand, in many ways,
led a lot of countries, not only Australia, in her economic reforms
during the 1980s and the 1990s. You've had a broadly based goods
and services tax for more than 12 years. You have a level of labour
market deregulation which has greatly aided the economic development
of your country. And you've also been very courageous in the
dismantling of many of your protective barriers over the years.
Some of these things Australia has done also, others we have not done,
others we've done in a different way. But the important thing
is that we have a lot of shared economic experience and intelligence
in front of us and we can all learn by each other's experience.
I'm happy to say that the Australian economy at present is in
a very robust state and long may it continue. But like all careful
Prime Ministers I don't take that for granted and it needs some
tender work, further reform and continued good government, but that
belongs to another forum.
Can I say how much I share Mrs Shipley's commitment to broadening
the horizons of CER. CER has been a great success but that means that
we can look to broadening the horizons. And I also share very much
New Zealand's commitment to a new broadly based World Trade Organisation
round coming out of the APEC meeting.
I'm a great supporter of APEC because I believe in the end the
living standards of the people of the APEC countries will be more
likely enhanced if we can have freer trade within the grouping that
comprises APEC. And it is the only grouping that brings together the
countries of Asia, the countries of Australasia, the countries of
North America and some countries from South America. It's a unique
group. And its membership was enlarged at the last meeting and it
adds to its special quality. And Australia will certainly do everything
it can to ensure that the group receives renewed commitment out of
the meeting in New Zealand later this year. It is a particularly important
meeting.
Prime Minister you drew attention to the good-natured rivalries between
our two countries. I, of course, mentioned last night at the reception
at the High Commissioner's home the inspiration that I've
received from the third Bledisloe Cup game at the Sydney Football
Stadium last year when having seen that magnificent outcome I was
so inspired that I got on a plane the next morning, journeyed to Canberra
and advised the Governor-General to dissolve Parliament and call a
general election. But those humourous, good-natured rivalries are
part of a relationship that is deep. It's a relationship that
is mature. It's a relationship that is close but it's a
relationship that none of us should ever take for granted. And it's
made better by the fact that although we have a lot in common we have
our own distinctive identity and our own distinctive characteristics.
And it's very important to respect those on both sides of the
Tasman.
We have a number of debates about our future in Australia over the
next few months and a variety of views are being taken. And can I
simply say that whatever the outcome of the vote on the referendum
in November, the essential values and fabric of the Australian community
will remain unimpaired and untouched. The friendship between our two
countries will remain as close as it is now.
I'm reminded by how important the future is for us, the immediate
future, by the fact that over the next couple of years New Zealand
will host the APEC meeting. You will host the America's Cup.
We will have the Centenary of Federation. We'll have the Olympic
Games. We'll have the Darvos gathering in Melbourne in the year
2000 and we'll have the CHOGM meeting in Canberra in the year
2001. And all of that's going to take place in the space of two
or three years. And it's going to mean that there is a world
focus on both our countries. And it's an opportunity for us to
tell the world in our own particular styles what values we have in
common and what makes our two societies so attractive. The unpretentious
character of both New Zealand and Australian society, the relative
physical security, the peaceful and predictable political character
of our societies despite the heat that is properly generated in democratic
exchange. And the fact that both of us are trying in our different
ways to achieve, in a constructive and purposeful and well-intentioned
fashion, a better understanding between our indigenous people and
those who've come to our respective countries to make either
New Zealand or Australia their home.
I thank you most warmly, Jenny, for the personal courtesy and friendship
you've extended to me and to Janette, and to your husband Burton,
to the great hospitality of the New Zealand Government and the New
Zealand people. And long may that friendship which we so warmly toasted
a few moments ago, endure.
[Ends]