Subjects: One Nation preferences, NT election.
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
. One Nation preference deals played a part in the Northern Territory's, or the CLP's fall out in the Northern Territory on the weekend?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I do, I agree with Dennis Burke's comments today that it was a mistake by the CLP to appear to do- to give a preference to One Nation over other parties. My view on this is very clear.
JOURNALIST:
So do you think.
PRIME MINISTER:
Can we sort of get that, that's making funny noises. I'm sorry. Now can we say all that again? My view on One Nation preferences is very clear, they should be placed last on every Liberal Party how to vote card around Australia. Decisions on these matters are made by the party executives in each state. In five of the six states those decisions have already been made and I am confident that when the Western Australian executive addresses this matter in about three weeks time a decision will be made by that division to put One Nation last. So everybody should take a bit of a deep breath and calm down about what the Liberal Party is going to do.
JOURNALIST:
Some within the CLP have suggested that the GST may have played a part with the various Northern Territory voters and caused some disillusionment. Do you think the GST played a part in this?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't and our polling said it didn't. And when I spoke to Mr Burke on Saturday night he didn't think it had either.
JOURNALIST:
What would happen though if he changed his mind by today?
PRIME MINISTER:
On what?
JOURNALIST:
On GST, whether or not GST.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it wouldn't make any difference, our polling showed that it was of relatively minor concern. This was an election determined overwhelmingly by the 'it's time' factor. Twenty-seven years for one side of politics is a very long period of time. And although I never like to see Labor win elections, or look like winning elections, 27 years is a very long time. I think that was the main reason and there are some subsidiary reasons but I think that was the main reason but there is a lesson on the preferences to come out of it and it just reinforces the view that I've held consistently and a view that I'm sure divisions of the Liberal Party share and we'll act accordingly.
JOURNALIST:
The Zimbabwian High Commissioners comments that Peter Slipper is racist for his desire to keep Robert Magube out of Australia.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Peter Slipper is certainly not racist. Certainly not. Peter Slipper is a very tolerant, opened minded person. There are difficulties in Zimbabwe. That government there is indifferent to proper democratic processes. There has been a long commonwealth tradition to try and talk these things through and the membership of the Commonwealth in earlier cases has led to a change of domestic behaviour and an improvement of domestic behaviour and I would naturally like to see the processes of the commonwealth work. But I understand the feelings of many people regarding what's happening in Zimbabwe.
JOURNALIST:
Given your reading of the election result in Northern Territory are you a bit disappointed then that some of your MP's, or a couple of your MP's from Western Australia are still considering flirting with One Nation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look these things are decided by the organisation. The overwhelming view of members of the parliamentary Liberal Party is a view that I have articulated. I will not compromise on that view, it is my strongly held view that in every electorate contested by the Liberal Party One Nation should be put last. That happened in the last federal election. I mean people seem to have forgotten in the last federal election that is exactly what happened. This may be a passing fantasy for some people who comment on politics but our position has been quite consistent and my position will not change. I will not compromise on this matter.
Thank you.
[ends]