Subjects: Rugby World Cup
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
[tape starts] The benefits of the Rugby World Cup coming here – all 48 matches.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we will get behind this. It';s a great sporting event. I love rugby. I';m a great follower of the Wallabies, and the Federal Government will do all it can to make this a very successful World Cup. We do of course want to emphasise the rugby association between Australia and New Zealand – they are important. I know there are different feelings on different sides of the Tasman about this. From our point of view, the important thing is for the two countries to continue sharing their rugby traditions, and those traditions are very strong. In the end, these are matters to be decided by sports administrators and not Governments. That';s been the view I';ve always taken. It';s been worked out and it';s been decided by the governing body of world rugby. I congratulate the ARU. I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to make certain that it';s a very successful World Cup. I think it will bring great credit to rugby and I look forward to the matches and the great clashes, not least between Australia and New Zealand.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask you if the New Zealand Government actually made representations to you to… to intervene at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh the matter was discussed by the New Zealand Prime Minister and myself. I don';t ever go into those sort of discussions. They';re confidential. I think it was dealt with appropriately by the Australian Government. In the end, our view remains that it was a matter for the sports administrators to decide. These things are decided by sports administrators. We should always be careful about the dividing line between Governments and sports administration. We';re there on the sidelines to help where we can. Every so often, we';ve got to express a view beyond that but it was decided by the International Rugby Board. I know it';s caused some differences of opinion across the Tasman between the ARU and the New Zealand Rugby Union. I certainly hope that will pass. From the Government';s point of view, we see only a close co-operation and close relationship between our two countries and that applies at every level. I certainly have a very close working relationship with the New Zealand Prime Minister and the New Zealand Government and I certainly intend to keep it that way.
JOURNALIST:
Just finally, Mr Hockey, the Federal Tourism Minister, said it could bring more than a billion dollars into the Australian economy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it will certainly be very good. All of these major international sporting events do boost the economy. The tour of Australia by the British and Irish Lions last year was an enormous boost to the economies of, particularly of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. To see all of those fans at a rugby union international at the Colonial Stadium was terrific, so it';s good for the country of course.
[ends]