Subjects: CHOGM
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
Good morning Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning, how are you?
JOURNALIST:
Well thank you, what do you think of it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's a very impressive site, it really is amazing, it's a magnificent site. Brisbane is a great place to have something like this. It really is a superb city with a lot os facilities and a beautiful climate and lovely people. So it's a perfect place in which to hold an international conference.
JOURNALIST:
So it's all going ahead Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't think I have anything at the moment to add to what I said yesterday, obviously from a domestic security point of view there is no reason why the conference can't go ahead. As I said in Parliament yesterday however if major figures in the Commonwealth for reasons related to the international situation came to the view they couldn't attend that would obviously have to cause some questions about a possible postponement. I can't say anymore than that. From Australia's point of that would be incredibly regrettable, but at the moment I'd be less than honest with you if I didn't at least put that possibility on the table. It's not something that we can control.
JOURNALIST:
When would the cut off point be for postponement Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't want to speculate on that at the moment.
JOURNALIST:
It's all systems go though at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
Right at the moment it's going ahead. But I stress 'right at the moment'.
JOURNALIST:
You haven't heard anything from Britain overnight?
PRIME MINISTER:
I spoke to Mr Blair last night.
JOURNALIST:
And is he coming Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I spoke to him last night, I don't have anything to say at the moment.
JOURNALIST:
Is there still a chance that CHOGM could be called off Prime Minister or not?
PRIME MINISTER:
I can only repeat what I said a moment ago.
Thank you.