Subjects: Parliamentary debate; Alexander Downer; United Nations; Tony Blair.
E&OE...........
KIRK:
Mr Howard, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning, Alexandra.
KIRK:
Firstly, why have you decided that it's time to bring on a parliamentary debate next week? Because previously you have stipulated that that would only occur if the US asked for an Australian commitment, so have you received that request from the US now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, your statement about my previous statements is not accurate and I have not received any requests from the United States. What is going to happen next week, is that the Foreign Minister Mr Downer will make a statement to parliament about Iraqi non-compliance with United Nations resolutions. That will of course enable debate not only on that particular aspect of this issue, but also other aspects of it. I have never said that there would only be a debate if we received a request from the United States. What I have said is that of course there would be no commitment of Australian military forces to any action without a full parliamentary debate. And the only thing that I rejected in relation to parliamentary debate was the premature request of the Labor Party that there be a debate during the last two weeks of parliamentary sitting, which was about a month ago, and during which incidentally I was asked only two questions in two weeks about Iraq by the Opposition Leader. But what's going to happen next week, is there will be a statement by Mr Downer, that will enable debate. That does not of course preclude further statements if they're required either by Mr Downer or by myself. I am the last person to want to stop full parliamentary debate of this issue. I believe in Parliament as a forum for open discussion of these issues and my hope is that this matter can be resolved without the use of military force. And the focus must now be on the United Nations and on Iraqi non-compliance with the resolutions of the Security Council. And that is why Mr Downer's statement next week will be focusing on that issue.
KIRK:
And do you foresee that at the end of the debate that there will be a vote and if so, for what?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we at this stage Alexandra, we're not proposing anything other than support for the involvement of the United Nations. I mean, you're saying a vote, we have not received a request. Can I say that again? The Americans have not made a decision and I think we have to take this thing step at a time. I hope it can be resolved without resort to military force. I'm a realist. It would take a big shift in behaviour by Iraq and there would need to be effective enforceable inspection arrangements for it to be a satisfactory approach. But the United Nations has passed resolutions, Iraq has failed to comply. That is the issue and it's the responsibility now of the United Nations, and I'm sure that President Bush will make this point when addresses the Untied Nations, to get Iraq to comply…
KIRK:
So you would you be asking MP's to support tougher action by the UN?
PRIME MINISTER:
What we'll be doing next week at this stage, and bear in mind this is an issue that is not static, there could be some further movement arising out of President Bush's speech, but what we are proposing at this stage is to have the Foreign Minister make a statement detailing Iraq's record of non-compliance with the resolutions of the Security Council. That is a sensible, appropriate, open thing for the Government to be doing at this time. That enables people to debate the statement and in the course of debating the statement, it's open to Members of Parliament to say anything they wish to say. But the policy of the Government is that the United Nations should get Iraq to comply with the resolutions previously passed by the Security Council. It's Iraq's failure which is the issue and collaterally, the failure so far of the United Nations to get Iraq to comply. That's the issue at the moment and I'm sure that will be the subject of President Bush's speech. And quite properly, it will be the subject of Mr Downer's statement to the Parliament.
KIRK:
And what would your hopes be then, the end result of the parliamentary debate, a resolution supporting tougher action by the UN?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well at this stage we are simply proposing to make a statement. You don't have to have a resolution concluding every debate on a statement. In fact, normally when you make a statement you don't have a resolution carried by Parliament. The purpose of the statement is to inform the Parliament of what has happened and to enable Members of Parliament to debate the issue. Now, I want that to occur and the statement will contain details of Iraq's non-compliance. And I've no doubt will canvass some other things as well, not in the sense of any future action because we are looking very much to the United Nations.
KIRK:
Mr Blair says that he'll be releasing the long promised dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, is that the information you're referring to?
PRIME MINISTER:
I wasn't particularly referring to that. But people talk about long promised documents, well I mean, Mr Blair…look I'm not here to pass comment on Mr Blair's handling of the issue in his country. I answer questions about my handling of it here in Australia. There is already a great deal of evidence in the public domain about the possession of nuclear, I'm sorry, of chemical and biological weapons and the nuclear aspirations of Iraq which could be turned into reality if they were able to get the necessary additional material from overseas. Now, that is actually not in serious dispute around the world. The British Government accepts it, we accept it, the Americans do, people like the Richard Butler - the former weapons inspection person from Australia. There is evidence already in the public domain. I mean the issue here is Iraqi non-compliance.
KIRK:
Mr Howard, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]