Subjects: Centenary of Federation; Reconciliation
E&OE................................
HENSHAW:
Prime Minister, Happy New Year.
PRIME MINISTER:
Happy New Year to you and it's a very special year for Australia isn't it?
HENSHAW:
Well as we go to air you are in fact attending the Centenary of Federation celebrations in Sydney. Now, as you see it how significant will the celebrations be throughout the year?
PRIME MINISTER:
When we look back after the year is finished we will - I believe - see the year long celebrations as probably the most important series of events over a period of time that Australia has had. I think we've reached the stage where we've got the right balance between pride in our past, a quite legitimate questioning about some of the directions that we must take in the future. Any society that is alive and vital must always debate and question future directions. I think we've got a very nice sense of appreciation of what this country has achieved and the whole of this year will be an opportunity for every Australian to reflect with a great deal of pride and I choose those words very deliberately and very positively on the Australian achievement. And the Australian achievement over the past 100 years has been massive by any standard.
HENSHAW:
I notice recently you're quoted as saying that you'd like to see Australians regain faith in the nation. Which does of course beg the question has there been any real loss of faith in Australia's identity?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was talking about more regaining faith in some of societies institutions. I reflected on that occasion that not only are people sometimes critical of political institutions but they're also critical of all of societies institutions. They're critical of the media, they're critical of business, they're critical sometimes of the churches, and they're critical sometimes of the administration of sport in this country. We're going through a period where people seem to be institutionally agnostic, if I can put it that way. Now these are phases that society goes through. And one of the opportunities that the Centenary gives to all of us is to realise that although we've made like any other community a lot of mistakes, and we have a lot of blemishes - there is an opportunity to reflect on how very successful we have been. This country's crowning achievement I believe is its social cohesion, which has really come out of our special blend of egalitarianism. There's no country in the world that has absorbed as many people from as many cultures and as many nations as Australia, and done it so well. And we've gone through depression, we've gone through the enormous changes of mass migration, we've gone through the challenges of modernisation and globalisation and yet we do remain a very cohesive society. And that I believe is our crowning achievement. A less cohesive society would not have done the Olympic Games as well as we did them.
HENSHAW:
Yeah, true enough. You mentioned there that the Australian ethic, if you like, was to be critical of various institutions. You mentioned politicians, you mentioned media, they would be two high profile ones, but I wonder if that is criticism or healthy cynicism at those institutions?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm not saying people shouldn't be critical, it's a democracy. I was responding to an observation that people are critical of political institutions and I made the comment that their criticism is not confined to political institutions. I think we need a healthy scepticism as a community and one of the things that separates Australians from Americans is that we are a more sceptical people. Now that's quite a healthy thing but it's also important in the process of being sceptical to appreciate what this country has achieved. And we've seen for example that our processes of determining our Government probably work more directly and more democratically than those do in the United States. We have a very effective federal system, we are unified in our allegiance yet power is very dispersed in this very large country. And it works very well. Federalism has been a great success, you've got to remember that this year we are celebrating a federation. We're celebrating a nation, we're also celebrating a federation of the states and the way in which we have been able to get a strong national focus yet recognise that in a large country you do need decentralised decision making. We have really got that balance very well.
HENSHAW:
Well, the year 2000 of course was generally speaking a pretty good year for you as most observers have pointed out recently. Apart from a couple of reshuffles and resignations you ended it on a fairly high note, politically speaking. Where does that position you and your thinking as we enter 2001?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well as an Australian I enter 2001 with great optimism and I speak first and foremost as a patriotic Australian.
HENSHAW:
Do you have a vision for 2001?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well 2001 is to build on the social cohesion, to recognise what we have achieved. To understand that Australia is uniquely placed by history as a country in the Asia Pacific region yet a nation which has very special links with Europe and North America. There's no country in the world like that and it gives us very special opportunities and very special responsibilities. We have to continue to develop harmony and promote harmony in our community. We've come a long way in the last 12 months on reconciliation. There's more - how should I put it - more peace on that front, there's a greater acceptance that what really matters is a commitment to reconciliation rather than which particular path to reconciliation receives majority support. In the end it doesn't really matter what path you take as long as you get to the end of the journey.
HENSHAW:
Just on that one Prime Minister and I just butt in for a second. On that particular one on reconciliation can I be so blunt as to say are you planning to say 'sorry' in 2001.
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not in favour of a formal national apology, no.
HENSHAW:
You have softened your stance on it though.
PRIME MINISTER:
I've never been hard on the issue. I've always been quite soft as an individual, I'm sorry for any hurt that was done to my fellow Australians in the past. I do recognise that the indigenous people are very disadvantaged as a group. I'm more concerned about improving their conditions than I am debating the semantics of the language we use when we address the past.
HENSHAW:
So this being day one of 2001 where would you like to see this country placed when you go to the election presumably towards the end of this year?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that is a very political question and today is a day of national unity. It's a day that all Australians celebrate whether they vote Liberal or Labor, we are Australians before we are anything else today and indeed throughout the year. Obviously in another environment, in another context I'd be very happy to talk about the Government's political fortunes. I'd rather on a day like this focus on things that bind us together as Australians rather than focus on political differences.
HENSHAW:
Sure.
PRIME MINISTER:
Political differences are part and parcel of our democracy but there are many things that bind us together as Australians and they're much greater than the things that keep us apart.
HENSHAW:
Well maybe I can rephrase that and just ask you what do you see as the greatest challenges in 2001?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the greatest challenges are obviously to maintain the sense of goodwill and social cohesion. I don't think it's under threat but you never take it for granted. The most priceless of all Australian assets is that social cohesion and we do have a brand of egalitarianism in this community that no other society has been able to realise. We should hold onto that. We must also of course continue the process of economic reform. Understanding that we are part of the global economy whether we like that or not, it is a reality we have to make certain that we harness the benefits of that global economy for the betterment of all Australian people.
HENSHAW:
Well, maybe I can turn it around a little bit. What would be your worst fears for the forthcoming year?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't have fears. I don't approach Australian society in 2001 in a negative frame of mind. We have demonstrated a capacity to do things, we've demonstrated a capacity to change, we've demonstrated a capacity to host great international events and we've put on display to all the world a marvellous level of social cohesion. I guess Australians should never take anything for granted, I don't as a political leader take my present position for granted, I regard it as a privilege on a day to day basis and I work very hard to retain the respect of the Australian people. But in the end it is a gift from them. It's not something to which I'm entitled by some kind of length of service and I think it's important that all Australians recognise what we have and how special it is but never take it for granted. And I guess if you ask me to isolate any concern I would have it is that maybe on occasions we do take our prosperity, our stability, our good luck, our social cohesion for granted we should never do that.
HENSHAW:
Well Prime Minister, if I could just end up on a personal, semi-political note but more personal, more John Howard type note. Do you really want to be there in four years or is there an exit clause before then?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I don't have anything really more to say than I did a few months ago when I turned 61 I mused that at some point I might give some thought to my future and that remains the case but can I tell you I'm enjoying the job. I'm feeling very healthy. I think I'm doing it reasonably well but that always is a matter for my fellow Australians to decide on not me or not my colleagues and we'll just see how it goes. I'm looking forward to this year, I know there'll be an election and I'll fight very hard. I won't take that for granted, it'll be a tough fight and I hope I make it. But that's a matter for the Australian community. But more importantly than all of that 2001 is a year to celebrate the Australian achievement, it's been a massive achievement and I hope every Australian in every part of our country enjoys it.
HENSHAW:
John Howard thanks again for your time and again Happy New Year.
PRIME MINISTER:
Happy New Year to you.
[ends]