Subjects: Aston by-election; Kim Beazley; the 'Brain Drain'; the Alice Springs to Darwin rail link.
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard are you prepared to declare victory in Aston?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. All the votes haven't been counted. I never claim victory until every last vote is counted. You never know what happens with these counts. We were 378 ahead last night. That can change.
JOURNALIST:
The article on the front of The Australian today about Monash Uni and the Brain Gain. More skilled people are coming in from overseas what does that say about Mr Beazley's Knowledge Nation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he's been caught out again talking Australia down. He's running around the country saying that everybody's leaving it because there's no encouragement for bright people to stay. That's wrong. We are a very attractive country to young intelligent people and what this report does is to expose another flaw in the argument he's been using. And once again he's been caught out trashing Australia's ability. We ought to back Australia's ability not trash Australia's ability.
JOURNALIST:
How do you feel today about the rail link announcement?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it's a fantastic day for the vision of an integrated, united Australia. This dream has been around for almost 100 years and I'm very proud that the Government I lead has made it possible in cooperation with the Governments of the Northern Territory and South Australia. It will be a great boon for our trade it will be a great boon for tourism and it also makes a valuable contribution to the integrated defence capacity of northern Australia. So it's a very worthwhile project and a great nation-building project of which all Australians should be very proud.
JOURNALIST:
What do you think of the protest by the local native titleholders?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm used to protests.
(ends)