Subjects: PIF; governance; foreign aid; Zimbabwe
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what do you think the Forum has achieved?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well certainly for me an opportunity to reaffirm Australia';s deep involvement in the Pacific, a better understanding of our position on climate change. There is now real understanding that although Australia will not in current circumstances ratify the Kyoto Protocol we are committed to meeting the greenhouse gas emission targets that have come out of Kyoto and I don';t think that was widely understood until yesterday. So I';m quite pleased about that. I';m also pleased about a greater willingness to accept the link between assistance and good governance. It';s an unmistakable reality that unless countries are well governed, they have law and order, they have physical safety for people they';re not going to attract foreign investment and if they don';t attract foreign investment in a globalised economy their living standards so far from rising run the risk of sinking further. I think all of those things have been very beneficial
JOURNALIST:
What was the reaction to that, the issue of governance….?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was encouraged by the acceptance of it. I mean for in the case of the Solomon Islands it';s been agreed that the Eminent Persons Group be given an ongoing role to monitor and give further advice and I think that';s a real step forward and that was readily accepted by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands has gone through a very difficult phase. There';s still a lot to be concerned about. It continues to need a lot of help but it also needs to understand domestically that the solution lies with the leaders of the Solomon Islands particularly in the area of the law and order.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, do you think the final communique will go far enough in actually practically improving security in the region on those issues….?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well communiques never do anything in that sense. I mean what has to happen is that inside each individual country there has to be an acceptance of the need of good governance. I think what this meeting has done is to reinforce the importance of that. We';ve played a role and we';ll continue to play a role. It';s not an assertive role but it';s equally a realistic role. As the major aid donor in the region we want to see improvements. Our own people require that of us and it';s not an unreasonable requirement.
JOURNALIST:
On the regional security issue though generally, how confident are you that individual countries are working towards those particular measures in their own countries that will strengthen regional security….?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think given the challenge of it for many small states they';re making good progress but the best thing any country can do particularly a small potentially vulnerable country is to make certain that it';s own internal law and order mechanisms are effective and have integrity.
JOURNALIST:
Have you spoken to Rene Harris now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I have.
JOURNALIST:
What';s his assessment of the situation on Nauru?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he';s very pleased about it. He said that there are about 120 children who go to the local school. He says that the arrangement is working extremely well and he';s very happy for it to go on.
JOURNALIST:
How did your talks with Helen Clark go last night…?
PRIME MINISTER:
As always very good. Helen Clark and I have a very good working relationship. We';ve always been able to deal with each other in a very direct and friendly fashion. We don';t disagree on very much. We talked about a whole range of things and I think as always we had a very productive discussion. I hope to go to New Zealand early next year in line with the pattern that I';ve established since becoming Prime Minister of Australia of regularly visiting New Zealand in the early part of the year. And the trans Tasman relationship is in excellent fettle and I';ve worked very hard on it and I want to compliment Helen Clark on the work that';s she';s also put into it.
JOURNALIST:
What did she put to you on Zimbabwe?
PRIME MINISTER:
Really we both agreed that it was a very unsatisfactory position. I don';t know that….she didn';t put anything new to me. I mean I knew what her view was, the same as mine. We';re extremely unhappy. There';s been no response and I am giving some thought right at the moment to some further, how shall I put it, some further action in relation to Zimbabwe.
JOURNALIST:
Would that entertain sanctions Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well just at the moment I don';t want to talk any more specifically than that.
JOURNALIST:
But a tougher line now, it';s clearly needed….
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look we';ve been very patient. It';s now six months since the London meeting. We';ve not had any meaningful response from Zimbabwe. None whatsoever. The situation has got worse. People are going without food, people are being arbitrarily thrown off their farms and thousands of black Zimbabweans being dispossessed of their jobs as a result, and there';s been no attempt made to answer the apparently irrefutable evidence in the Commonwealth Observer Group Report on the conduct of the election. I mean you';ve got to go back to basics. Our remit out of Coolum was to act against the background of the Commonwealth Observer Group report. That wasn';t just an Australian report or a New Zealand report or a Canadian or British. It went right across the spectrum and there is just as much unhappinesss amongst a number of the Carribean and Pacific Island countries and I think I may have said the other day that when you remember how the book was thrown at Fiji, properly, but it was nonetheless thrown, you have to keep that sort of thing in mind when looking at Zimbabwe.
JOURNALIST:
How hard do you think you';ll have to throw the book at Robert Mugabe?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look we';re not talking about.…,you know, let';s keep the thing in perspective. I';m talking about the books being thrown in relation to status within the Commonwealth and so forth.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
There';s nothing more I intend to say at the moment. There';s some things being considered at the present time and I don';t really want to say any more than that at the moment.
JOURNALIST:
If not sanctions what are the other options?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look I';m not going to say any more.
JOURNALIST:
Why won';t Australia ratify Kyoto? If we could meet the targets how is it not in our national interest?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well because we don';t believe that an arrangement that doesn';t include the United States and the developing countries is an effective global response. That';s why.
JOURNALIST:
Don';t you think you should set an example?
PRIME MINISTER:
Set an example? Well you set an example by what you do inside your own country.
JOURNALIST:
Doesn';t the $2 million in climate change funding you';ve put forward, you';ve announced today, does that ease the tensions between the Pacific nations here?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it';s not meant in that context. It';s meant as a practical gesture to help small island states better predict weather patterns. It';s the sort of practical assistance that should be given. I mean these countries can';t afford to have a full blown meteorological set up themselves so if we can help then they can better predict what';s going to happen.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard,do you know of any terrorist networks infiltrating - any evidence of any terrorist networks infiltrating any Pacific Island states?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it';s fair to say that the intelligence, without getting into areas one normally doesn';t get into intelligence, I think it';s fair to say that the potential is there. I don';t want to put it any higher than that.
JOURNALIST:
Do you agree with Mr McKinnon';s comments that the Pacific Islands should be left alone to resolve their own domestic problems? He made the comment during….?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I didn';t quite see him indicating that other countries shouldn';t get involved. I mean my view is that the sovereignty of all countries should be respected, but it';s also my view that any country that has a role in providing help to countries that need help has a right to see that that help is most effectively used and it';s certainly the view of the Australian public that aid should be given on the understanding that it';s used in a sensible and effective fashion and we have our sovereignty as well and we have a perfect right to say to a country well we will provide aid but in return we would like certain standards of governance to be met and that';s our philosophy and I think it';s a very understandable philosophy. It';s also incidentally the philosophy of the European Union in relation to Africa and the Pacific should understand that what is happening in Africa under NEPAD now is that governance and aid have been linked.
JOURNALIST:
Did you raise Mr Howard more generally with Pacific nations the idea that the Pacific could become an easy target for terrorist networks?
PRIME MINISTER:
I didn';t need to raise that. They';re aware of it. You look at the remarks that have been made by the Prime Minister of Fiji. I mean all countries are conscious that there';s an increased threat. I';m not sort of saying it';s around the corner and I don';t want to over-dramatise it and you';re damned if you do or you';re damned if you don';t with something like this. But clearly small fragile countries lacking any kind of security services and so forth have potential to be easy marks and easy targets.
JOURNALIST:
How would you describe the security situation in Pacific compared with say when you first became Prime Minister of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the security situation everywhere is more difficult than it was six and a half years ago. I';m not saying it';s that much more difficult in the Pacific than the rest of the world. I';m not saying that but clearly its clearly more difficult.
JOURNALIST:
The aid burden for the Pacific, obviously New Zealand and Australia are contributing increasing amounts, are New Zealand or Australia getting value for money out of the aid they';re putting into the Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I think it';s a very important aid priority for Australia and I';m very pleased that we';re able to play a major role. I can only repeat that when you are an aid donor you are entitled to sort of look to how it is dispersed and you are entitled to increasingly link good governance with the provision of aid and that';s understood.
JOURNALIST:
Have countries been told that if they don';t make themselves stronger against terrorism that that may have some effect on aid funding?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven';t made such a link, you have.
[Ends]