Subjects: Senator Heffernan; Justice Kirby; Zimbabwe;
E&OE...........
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I want to inform you that as a result of some information that was given to me this afternoon, I've asked Senator Bill Heffernan to resign as parliamentary secretary. I've also told Senator Heffernan that he should make a detailed statement to the Senate tomorrow or the next day whenever it is possible to do so and in the course of that statement I've told the Senator that he owes Mr Justice Kirby an unqualified apology and I've also indicated that he should apologise to the Senate. The matters that I've alluded to are matters that the Senator will no doubt advert to in the statement which he makes to the Senate. I believe in the light of the information that has come to my attention this afternoon, that is the appropriate course of action for him to take.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, what was the information?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think that is a matter for Senator Heffernan to canvas.
JOURNALIST:
How would you describe his behaviour?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, he owes the judge an unqualified apology. But I think in fairness to him and to everybody concerned he should be given the opportunity of making an explanation.
JOURNALIST:
… review of parliamentary privelege?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well quite clearly I wouldn't be requiring him to make an unqualified apology…
JOURNALIST:
… inaudible… by the government though?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the statement was made by him, it was not made by the government and it was not made with the authority of the government, it was not made with the knowledge of the government.
JOURNALIST:
… Justice Kirby?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, in these matters you react quite properly to facts and circumstances that are within your knowledge and that is exactly what I've done.
JOURNALIST:
… he was your trusted confidante?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I have always been a friend of his, and I don't, even in their difficulty, I don't abandon friends, that's never been my way and if anybody thinks that I'm going to repudiate because of one quite serious incident, I'm going to repudiate a friendship, that's not my style and I don't intend to do it. But if he's done something that is in error, and he's done something where he owes an apology to somebody else, I expect him to acknowledge that error and to deliver that apology.
JOURNALIST:
Does the new evidence relate to the Comcar…?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think it is a matter for Senator Heffernan to deal with because bear in mind that that particular matter was not something over which I had any control. That particular document that you were referring to is not a document that I sought to stand behind and if there are any questions in relation to that, I can't answer it.
JOURNALIST:
…. future role be in the parliament?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, he certainly won't have an executive role. He'll continue as a Senator from NSW.
JOURNALIST:
Do you expect Justice Kirby to, in his career, remain unaffected by….?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Mr Justice Kirby remains a member of the High Court bench. His reputation as a lawyer I hope is completely unaffected by this incident, it ought to be, I hope it is, and I would expect him to continue as a member of the High Court bench until he reaches retirement age. He has been a very active and very distinguished jurist. I would hope that this incident does not in any way affect the performance of his duties and I would point out that at no stage have I expressed any view to the effect that he is not fit to continue as a member of the High Court bench. I've sought to deal with this matter, as it has emerged, on the merits. Information has come to me this afternoon and as a consequence of that I've asked for the Senator's resignation. He had previously stood aside and that will be forthcoming and I've indicated that he should make a statement to the parliament which he will and I've indicated to him that he should deliver an unqualified apology to the judge which I expect him to do.
JOURNALIST:
Did you see the documents that Senator Heffernan passed onto the police commissioner before two years ago?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have no separate knowledge of exactly what he passed onto the NSW police commissioner. He didn';t give it to me to give to the commissioner. I have an idea of what he gave to the commissioner but I can't be certain because I didn't transmit it.
JOURNALIST:
Would you expect NSW police to look at it now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that is a matter for them. I mean, it shouldn't be assumed that the NSW police won't continue to make their independent assessment. That is a matter for them. I'm not going to make any judgement on that. That's entirely a matter for them.
JOURNALIST:
On Zimbabwe Prime Minister, would you like to see Zimbabwe suspended from the Commonwealth?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I'm not going to make any judgement about that until I've had a discussion with my two colleagues, the president of Nigeria and the president of South Africa. I really have to have a discussion with them and then I'll make a judgement.
[ends]