Subjects: Visit to Nigeria
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister are you flattered with the party support that your colleagues want you to say on beyond your 64th birthday?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don';t have anything add to what I';ve previously said on that subject.
JOURNALIST:
Simon Crean says he';d rather face Peter Costello than yourself at the next election, what';s your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don';t have anything to add to what I';ve previously said on that subject.
JOURNALIST:
But it must be pleasing though is it Prime Minister to know that there';s such great support in your party.
PRIME MINISTER:
I don';t have anything to add to what I';ve previously said on that subject.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, what do you hope to achieve next week when you go to Nigeria and then onto London?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I';m going to Nigeria to meet the South African President and the Nigerian President, we comprise the Commonwealth troika, to talk about Zimbabwe';s failure to respond to the concern expressed at our meeting in London six months ago. And at this stage I';m not too hopeful that we can achieve Zimbabwe';s co-operation but we will try. Zimbabwe has been in total defiance of Commonwealth opinion. Our major concern is about the way in which the election was conducted. We';ll talk about it, there are some limited options regarding Commonwealth membership that are open to us and then of course individual Commonwealth countries can take action if they wish.
JOURNALIST:
And what do you hope to achieve when you meet Tony Blair and Jack Frost in London next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Jack Straw? Look I would obviously talk to both of them about Zimbabwe, Britain and Australia are both concerned about what is occurring there, and I';ll naturally talk to them about Iraq. It will be a brief visit, I';ll just be in London for a day and a half but I think it';s an opportunity as I';m so close to go on to London and have a discussion with both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary about both of those subjects.
JOURNALIST:
I believe Jack Straw and also Mugabe are going to attending the Nigerian meeting, do you know any details about it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I';m not aware that Jack Straw';s coming to the Nigerian meeting, I doubt it. I think you may be confusing him with Don McKinnon, the Commonwealth Secretary General. We have invited President Mugabe, whether he comes or not I don';t know.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you say that you won';t add anything in terms of the leadership, before your 64th birthday will you ever make another comment about it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don';t have anything to add to what I';ve previously said on the subject.
[ends]