Subjects: pensions; Ryan by-election; visit by President Wahid; Papua New Guinea.
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
Can we ask some questions?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes certainly.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Labor has dubbed today "claw back day", is there any room to move on any additional compensation?
PRIME MINISTER:
It is not a claw back. We are not cutting the pension. It is going up. What happened was that some of the pension increase due now was paid 9 months in advance. All we are doing is avoiding a double payment. The Labor Party has run a despicable fear campaign. It is disgraceful politics to scare elderly, vulnerable people. They know their claims are wrong, they voted for the compensation legislation. It is a base, despicable fear campaign because pensions are not being cut, there is not a claw back. We are merely avoiding the double payment on an amount paid 9 months in advance.
JOURNALIST:
.pensioners have got nothing to complain about ?
PRIME MINISTER:
The complaints being made by the Labor Party and some, that this represents a claw back or a discount are completely wrong. There is no claw back, what has happened is that we are avoiding the double payment of an amount that was paid 9 months in advance. It's like my owing you a $100 dollars in July and paying it to you now. In July you'd like me to pay it to you again but you don't really think I have to. That's the analogy and that's what's involved here and the Labor Party knows it and it's a despicable fear campaign to scare elderly people and spread untruths about what we have done.
JOURNALIST:
The why are pensioner groups. [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well if you have the alternative Government, the Opposition, running around saying that there's been a claw back, of course people are mislead. And everybody in this political arena has a responsibility. It's one thing to attack your political opponent, it's another thing to scare people. And that's what the Labor Party has done. It's like Mr Beazley talking down the economy on the eve of the Ryan by-election, he should never have used the word recession because he knows in his heart that that does damage to confidence in this country. But he can't help himself, he's doing the same thing on this issue.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my experience with these people has been very positive.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well as I explained in my answer the reasons for the different treatment is that we decided that nursing home and medical services would not be subject to the GST. And that is the basis of the difference. Obviously there are a whole lot of questions that people raise but you know as well as I do that you make change in one area that invites requests for change in others. And you've got to look at the thing as a total package, you've got to take into account the tax cuts, you've got to take into account the savings bonus, you've got to take into account the private health insurance rebate, you've got to take into account the health card, all of the things that are of benefit.
JOURNALIST:
What's the feedback you've been getting today, is that indicating (inaudible) elderly Australians.?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there's always work for a Government to do, as you know I don't take anybody for granted. But I don't think you could suggest I'd had a hostile reception today.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible].gut feeling on Ryan?
PRIME MINISTER:
Don't know. It could go either way, I have no idea. We have passed from science into pure luck and I don't know what's going to happen. We were 106 behind overnight, they'll count another what 1500-2000-2500 today, I haven't the faintest idea how they'll go. We could end up just getting over the line or we could end up just missing out.
JOURNALIST:
Does the final actual result matter that much considering there has been a swing of about 9.5 percent ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think Ryan will be better represented by Bob Tucker. It matters to me that the electorate has a good representative. But I've already dealt with the question of the size of the swing, I think I've dealt with that time without number.
JOURNALIST:
Just a final question..President Wahid, can you shed some light on [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it is my understanding, and firm arrangements have been made, that he will be here during the first week of April. He will be very welcome. It'll be a very important visit, it'll be the first visit for something like 26 or 27 years by an Indonesian President. And I'm looking forward to his being in Australia and he'll get a very hospitable welcome from the Australian Government.
JOURNALIST:
What options are open to the federal government if things continue to deteriorate in Pupua New Guinea?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's important to recognise the sovereignty of the PNG Government. The PNG Government has our total support. We totally support the maintenance of constitutional and democratic rule in that country. We've made that very clear to the PNG Government and by my public statements and those of the Foreign Minister, to the people of Papua New Guinea. We have to respect the sovereignty of that country, but we're following it very closely and we would be extremely disturbed, to say the least, if there were any challenge to the constitutional authority of the elected Government. There's no point in my saying any more than that, I think that makes the point very clear.
Thank you.
[ends]