E&OE...........
MILNE:
Prime Minister, thanks for joining us. What's your message tonight to the families that are suffering and waiting?
PRIME MINISTER:
My message to them is that your fellow Australians are thinking of you and we hope that the prayers of as many of you as possible are answered. It';s all we can do, we hope it means something and we hope it';s of some comfort for you in what must be a trying and anxious time.
MILNE:
Can you promise them justice?
PRIME MINISTER:
I can promise them that we will try to the very best of our capacity in co-operation with Indonesia and others to track down the people who committed this foul murder, because that';s what it is. I can promise them that. Justice is what they';re entitled to and justice is what we will spare no effort to deliver for them.
MILNE:
Do you have any new information on who was behind this attack?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it';s fair to say that we';re getting fragmentary bits of information, it';s too early to call it new information at this stage. You will understand there are some things I can';t say. It';s important that Mr Downer and Senator Ellison are going to Indonesia. We need to get there beside the Indonesians and work with them because you had Australians murdered in a foreign country and the people who committed that crime of course have to be pursued in that country, and perhaps elsewhere.
MILNE:
Why do you think Australians were targeted?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because in the main we';re western, I think that';s the main reason. The common thread is an anti-western thread. There were Americans and Canadians and New Zealanders and Europeans in that nightclub, there were more Australians than any others but the common theme undeniably in these attacks is an anti-western theme and we are westerners and forever have been and forever will be and that';s one of the reasons why we get caught up.
MILNE:
You now acknowledge it could happen here, how should Australians respond?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I';ve always said it could happen here, I haven';t just said that as a result of the 12th of October. Well the Government has to review all of the anti-terrorism mechanisms and that';s what we';re doing, we have to see whether our laws are adequate, we have to live our lives, we can';t be frightened to live, otherwise the terrorists win, that was said after the 11th of September. But we have to see, as a Government, as to whether there are additional things we can do and we';ll work with people, we';ll work with State governments to see if there are.
MILNE:
Prime Minister, thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]