Subjects: Pacific Islands Forum; patrol boat programme; registration of gifts and hospitality
E&OE................................
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen at the Forum meeting this morning I announced that Australia would extend for a period of twenty-five years at a cost over that time of $350 million the Pacific Patrol Boat programme which currently will run out in the year 2002. There are 22 patrol boats and these have been absolutely invaluable in providing protection for Pacific Island countries, particularly in relation to their fishing stocks. It represents a very major defence commitment by Australia to the region and naturally the announcement was warmly welcomed by the other Forum countries. It is a practical demonstration of the strength of Australia's commitment and also the long-term character of that commitment. This programme started in 1987 and it will be renewed in 2002 for the full 25 year period and cover the life of all of the patrol boats and it is a very important investment by Australia in the security of the region and also an investment by Australia in protecting a very valuable economic resource, namely fishing stocks which are so important to the viability of many countries and their standards of living.
I should also mention that I gave at the Forum meeting this morning a brief report on events in East Timor. I formally thanked Forum members for the support they'd offered at the Palau meeting a year ago and the contribution of other Forum countries to the INTERFET and now the blue helmet forces in East Timor. I reiterated a commitment I made at the Forum Leaders' Meeting over the weekend at the Retreat for Australia to sponsor and pay for the establishment of a Regional Paralympic
Federation, effectively within the Paralympian movement around the world. The show is divided into a series of regions and this region is the only one that up until now has not been organised into some kind of loose federation. We'll pay for that, we'll organise that.
And I also offered Australia's sponsorship and footing the bill of a Small Arms' Taskforce which will meet in probably Sydney next year to talk about the problem of small arms control within the region.
Can I just say that this has been a particularly successful Forum meeting. For a very good reason, East Timor in the case of 1999 and the immediacy of an election in 1998, I wasn't able to personally come to the last two Forum meetings. I've found this an extremely valuable meeting. The Forum has taken a quantum move forward in terms of relevance. It will be taken a lot more seriously by the world. We have displayed a capacity to address frankly some difficult issues and reach sensible compromises. And I'm very encouraged by the Biketawa Declaration, I'm very encouraged by the sensible attitude, the sensible and sensitive attitude that's been taken in relation to West Papua. And there is a very great community of feeling and I am most encouraged and found it a very beneficial experience for myself and for Australia.
JOURNALIST:
Have you managed to secure support from other leaders in relation to peacekeeping in the Solomon Islands?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, there is, some discussions are going on in the margins about other contributions, but I don't think there'll be any difficulty about that.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister what are some of the ideas behind the small arms' forum?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we haven't discussed any ideas. We're really, that's what we're going to have the taskgroup for. I don't have any simple solution and I'm not an expert on extracting small arms from anybody let alone general circulation. So, I'll have to bow to the experts on that.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] commitment.
PRIME MINISTER:
No that was a bigger one Dennis. I am happy to provide the political will and the legislative authority but as to how you sort of do some of it I will have to get the advice of the Australian Federal Police on that.
JOURNALIST:
Where will the next Forum be held?
PRIME MINISTER:
That matter has yet to be resolved. What's been agreed is that the Chairman will talk to people over the next couple of months and I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of understanding emerges as a result of that.
JOURNALIST:
If it was in Fiji would Australia go?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think there are difficulties, but let's defer that question until you know where it is, then you may not ask it.
JOURNALIST:
It seems a likelihood though that it will be in Fiji . . .?
PRIME MINISTER:
These things are not always determined in that way. Let's wait and see. There are difficulties but I think it's premature. There are difficulties for Australia if it's in Fiji, of course. But I hope we will be able to, in the Pacific way, talk about this and resolve it.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister on the Declaration generally, why did Australia come to the view that there was a traditional reluctance to get involved in difficult issues . . .?
PRIME MINISTER:
Why did Australia? Well I don't know that Australia ever had the view that you duck difficult issues.
JOURNALIST:
No that the Forum had a [inaudible] of ducking difficult issues. Why has Australia come to the view that now was the time to end that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australia wasn't the only country that came to that view. There's no doubt that what's happened in the last twelve months in Fiji and in the Solomon Islands has focused people's minds. I spoke of a potential contagion effect, that's true it has focused people's minds. It focused my mind, it focused your mind, it's focused everybody's mind. I mean that's just a question of foreign policy commonsense. This is a region that has been experiencing turbulence over the last year. It's gone through some difficulties and everybody was aware that. It's not just Australia but some of the very smallest members of the Forum are aware of it.
JOURNALIST:
In the past the patrol boats have been used for military operations, for example in Bougainville, would you be putting any conditions in place on the next phase.. ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we want them used in an appropriate fashion, but you've got to understand that a patrol boat, once it comes under the control of a country, they have certain responsibilities.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible].defence force personnel as advisers?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the arrangement that's operated in the past will continue.
JOURNALIST:
Have you had any reaction from Jakarta on the [inaudible] West Papua?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I haven't.
JOURNALIST:
Are you expecting any?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't know.
JOURNALIST:
Was that raised again this morning during the Forum?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was discussed, yes and Nauru and Vanuatu and others expressed their concern, but the language, the recognition of Indonesian sovereignty will be retained in the communiqu‚ and the request that the secessionist movement and the Indonesian Government get together and try and resolve it. It is a difficult issue and I spoke during that discussion and I said that I understood the concerns being expressed about West Papua. I also asked the Forum to understand that this was a sensitive, difficult issue for Indonesia, that the fear of fragmentation was very significant in Indonesian minds and they should understand that and it was a legitimate concern on the part of Indonesia. I also asked them to spare a thought for our friends in Papua New Guinea who share a common border with West Papua. So it was a very direct discussion and the language that will be in the communiqu‚ is very sensible language, it doesn't run away from the fact that it's a difficult issue but it does acknowledge that Indonesia is the sovereign authority, that's important for Jakarta. But it's also important for all of us to understand that it's a difficult issue and it has to be addressed inside West Papua by Indonesia and those involved on the other side. Now that's just once again a statement of reality, we can't, it won't go away unless it's addressed.
JOURNALIST:
Are you confident that all your MPs and Ministers are following the rules regarding their perks of office?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well let me speak in relation to myself. There was a claim in the newspapers this morning that I had breached my own code in relation to that. That claim is absolutely wrong. It arose out of the fact that I disclosed that last year I went to the Barbra Streisand concert. And I was conscious that they were fairly valuable tickets so I actually sought advice from my Department as to whether that comprised a gift. And I was given the advice that it had been the policy for both my Government and former governments that hospitality is not regarded as a gift. You are only required to pay the difference where there's a gift. If you're given an expensive piece of jewellery - some gold cuff links for example - you've got to pay the difference.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not aware of anybody who's breached anything but obviously in relation to people's own individual circumstances they're better able to answer for themselves. But I saw that material this morning which is absolutely wrong. What they've done is completely confuse the difference between the requirement to disclose substantial hospitality and the requirement to disclose gifts over a certain level and if you keep them, pay for them if they're above certain set limits. Now that's all laid out in the guidelines. So the slur cast on me, and presumably in relation to all of my colleagues, by those articles this morning is what I reject very strongly. This thing has now just reached ridiculous proportions where people are just recklessly hurling allegations around. I am very meticulous about disclosing things. I've even disclosed on the register what is self-evident to 19 million Australians - that I attended a lot of Olympic Games events and used my accreditation which was given to me by SOCOG. I've done that in the interests of transparency and I disclose things. But you're not required to pay the difference in relation to things like opening night tickets and entertainment and hospitality and there's a very good reason for that. Because in my situation it would create difficulties and I think you'd all agree that Prime Ministers from Menzies onwards have been invited to various events and I'll bet I've followed precisely the same practice as they've all followed. As I say, the division between hospitality and gifts, which arose in the Barbra Streisand case, which I specifically sought advice on - maybe I knew somebody was going to say this in a year's time.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
I deliberately sought advice on it and that's what I got. I am therefore, I find the article quite outrageous. Quite outrageous.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the guidelines are clear and tough enough?
PRIME MINISTER:
The guidelines are appropriate. You cannot have a situation where, in the normal course of events in purely innocent circumstances Ministers will get entertainment. They have to use their discretion. If you accept hospitality of any significance then you ought to disclose it. And I did that. I thought the Streisand concert fell into that category.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think they are all as honest as you? Do you think we need a.
PRIME MINISTER:
Can I tell you I think most Members of Parliament on both sides are very honest. I really do. I have not found a level of dishonesty in my dealings with colleagues and I say that freely of people on the other side as well. I know we get belted around the ears and occasionally somebody in my position ought to stick up for Members of Parliament generally. Most of them go into public life out of dedication and sincerity and commitment and try to the best of their ability to work very hard and do an honest job for their constituents. As I say, that applies on both sides. Occasionally people do
abuse privileges and they deserve the heaviest sanction but when you haven't abused a privilege and you've played by the rules and you've disclosed things, it's galling to have your reputation slurred.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Reith's now paid back $47,700 .[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
My understanding is that there was some kind of bulk discount because the Department of Administrative Services pays a lot of phone bills. So it gets a bit of a bulk rate. I think that's the difference between the original 55 and the 47 but I understand he has paid every last cent of the amount the Department said ought to be paid by somebody. I stress again he had no legal obligation to do this. He arranged a mortgage to pay it. He's paid it in full. Now let me say that if that kind of approach had been taken on every occasion in the past when it should have been and is taken on every occasion in the future when it should be, well I'll be a very interested person.
JOURNALIST:
It was only public disclosure that brought that .
PRIME MINISTER:
No. Can I make another point about this that when I sought the advice of the Attorney-General, Mr Williams, in May of this year he actually advised me in writing that the question of payment of the money should be deferred pending the outcome of the police inquiry.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Reith has dropped down to 42% in polling in his electorate, do you think he can come back from that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look I don't make a habit of giving a running commentary on polls. You'll be aware that when there was a newspoll last Tuesday, I didn't make any comment on it. I've learnt from long experience in politics that it's stupid to react too much to one particular poll no matter what the circumstances. Polls are a guide to a long-term trend. They're not anything else.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister . . [inaudible].
PRIME MINISTER:
With pleasure.
JOURNALIST:
Pacific leaders are talking about a free trade zone, do you think Australia should be a member of such a free trade zone?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have a very pragmatic approach to trading issues and if there is reciprocal benefit in us belonging to any trade association then we ought to do so. I have to say that I can't see an immediate symmetry in the free trade zone for the Forum countries. The APEC grouping was a good one and we made some progress for a while but we've got into a slower lane in APEC over the last several years. I think we need a new burst of energy from the next American President on the subject of APEC. That'll be very important.
JOURNALIST:
In relation to the fisheries agreement that was signed this morning, are you urging Japan and Korea and other countries to sign up?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes. I think it would be nice to get everybody signed up to that because these resources are incredibly precious to these small island countries. Incredibly precious and if people are interested in gestures of good neighbourliness and being good mates in the region then they ought to be doing things in those sorts of areas because you only have to come to a place like Kiribati and then you understand just how important fishing stocks are and how deep and understandable is their sensitivity about these things. They don't have a lot and its very important that what they do have is protected.
JOURNALIST:
Is the Biketawa Declaration a relief for Australia, given that the South Pacific Forum appears to be taking on more responsibility as a regional policeman, does that mean less responsibility.
PRIME MINISTER:
No we're not looking in any way to walk away from responsibility but what is good about the declaration is that it is telling the rest of the world that as a group of countries we understand we've had some problems in our domain, on our watch and we have to be more active as a group in doing things about it. But I won't use that as a way of walking away.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister the Australian press seems to be interpreting the situation in the Solomons and Fiji to suggest the entire region is at boiling point [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
You're not from the Australia press I gather? Well there are different interpretations placed on different events. I wouldn't have regarded the Australian press' coverage of the events in the Pacific as amongst the worst examples of their behaviour over the last few years. No I think . . . look these were serious events, what happened in Fiji was taken very seriously and rightly so by Australia because you had a democratically elected government overthrown. I met Mr Chaudry in my office only six weeks before he was brutally removed from office and we didn't take that lightly and we remain of the view that there has to be a non-racial constitution in Fiji.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the region has gone through a difficult time. It understands that. We are very pleased about what has happened in the Solomon Islands and there's a lot of positive thinking about that. And we're very, very pleased about the improved governance arrangements in a number of other countries, so I am positive, but vigilant.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
We haven't talked about expulsion. You've seen the declaration haven't you? Well you will. And we talk about, as a last resort, targeted measures.
JOURNALIST:
Just one more on patrol boats, is this a down payment on the White Paper?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it certainly will not be at odds with the White Paper. It's not a down payment on the White Paper, but it's fully consistent and this is the right time to announce it. It's a very important commitment and when you add to that the large amount of aid that goes into the Pacific region, over a $100 million a year, it is a measure of the importance we attach to it.
Thank you.
[Ends]