E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
Well ladies and gentleman, I've just had a bilateral meeting with President Fox and earlier I had a meeting with three of his senior Ministers - that completes the bilateral visit to Mexico. Inevitably, Mexico's greatest focus economically is with Latin America and North America. But the bilateral relationship, on a trading basis, between Australia and Mexico has done very well over the last five years. The trade has doubled and we've made a number of important moves forward with the double taxation agreement and the visits, four ministerial visits, from Australia over the last year.
I've invited President Fox to visit Australia in the second half of next year and I'm very hopeful that he will take up that invitation. He seems seriously interested in doing so. I think there is scope to build to the relationship further. And I took the opportunity of expressing Australia's concern about the impact of hurricane, he told me that fortunately, there has so far been no loss of life and that there's been a very effective and efficient evacuation operation carried out. And I also congratulated him on a very successful APEC meeting. And I'm delighted to have been able to pay a short bilateral visit.
You will also be aware that in between the breakfast this morning and my meetings with the Minister and the President, I chaired an executive committee meeting at the International Democratic Union, it was in fact a marvellous opportunity to receive some deeper insights into the political challenges of Latin America - countries such as Venezuela face very severe challenges to their democratic infrastructure. And one of the great advantages of being in this part of the world of course is to gain some insights for Australia of a vast area of the world with very large populations with which we don't routinely interact in the way we do with Asia, Europe and North America. Any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Of the trade, in which areas do you see as the greatest opportunity for enhancing links with Mexico?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it is a big area. I think there are prospects of selling more coal, in time, to Mexico. We have very high-grade coal which is suitable for Mexico's requirements and we have, of course, a very strong delivery record. That's one of the areas I think that could be very good.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, at APEC with the bilateral meeting with the President, did you have any discussion about the relationship between poverty and terrorism?
PRIME MINISTER:
I had a discussion about poverty. I asked him and the ministers about the level of poverty and the responses of government. I didn't seek myself to draw a connection and that wasn't drawn by the Ministers or by the President.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, there's a 20-year gap between visits to Mexico. Is it too long?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, oh yes. It is inevitably when you look at a bilateral context, it's always too long. But an Australian Prime Minister, whoever he or she may be, is always constrained by the relationships that are thickest on the ground economically. And of course it's too long, but you can't be out of the country all the time and that's true of my predecessors as well as my self. But in fact there was a 10 year gap between the Whitlam, nine or ten year gap between the Whitlam, Fraser visits and a 20 year gap between the Fraser and Howard visits. But it is too long.
JOURNALIST:
Did the President give you any tips on negotiating a free trade agreement…
PRIME MINISTER:
With the United States? No, I think the circumstances are a little bit different. No, I didn’t seek it.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, this is your 13th overseas visit this year. Will it be the last do you think?
PRIME MINISTER:
This year? I hope so. I don’t mean that unkindly of any of the countries that I’ve visited. It has been one of those years where for a combination of reasons a lot of visits have been necessary and each of them has been valuable to Australia in its own right. Each of them.
JOURNALIST:
Can I just ask a domestic question? There’s a Saudi National who was deported two months after…
PRIME MINISTER:
I’m not commenting on that at this stage.
JOURNALIST:
Why is that Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because I choose not to.
JOURNALIST:
Is it particularly sensitive or something?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I just don’t have a comment. I mean it is never wise to comment on everything that is going on domestically when you’re out of the country. There’s no particularly sinister reason why I’m not commenting on it, but I’m just choosing not to.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the newspoll shows an overwhelming support for tough gun laws and I think it’s 80% in favour. Are you surprised by the level of public support?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don’t need a poll to tell me that Australians hate guns in the main and whilst we’re prepared to have exceptions for legitimate sporting shooting pursuits, and the sporting shooters of Australia are generally very responsible people. But apart from that, people see no reason why the ordinary citizen should carry a gun and neither do I. And I mean one thing I really feel, I feel strongly about a lot of things, but I feel very strongly about this. And I’ve watched the way America has gone and we have an opportunity at least to try and not go down that path, and I’ll do everything I can to ensure that we don’t go down that path. I mean I may fail but I make no apologies because I feel very strongly about it, and I think people all over the country do, and you only have to look at the availability of guns in the United States and it was never tackled years ago in that country, and now it’s too late and there are consequences. Two more questions and then I’d better go and get a plane.
JOURNALIST:
I just want to ask you about… priorities when you get back. What are one of the things you plan to sink your teeth into?
PRIME MINISTER:
Just doing the job. I don’t have any particular thing to get my teeth into. There are a lot of issues that continue to require my attention, including of course the continuing response to the impact on Australia of the Bali atrocity. That remains still very much in my mind and it has not been out of my mind at any time since I’ve been out of Australia. I didn’t regard this visit as an opportunity to recharge batteries. I regarded this visit as an important part of my responsibility as Prime Minister and it was appropriate that I come because we were able to focus on a number of issues relating to terrorism. I was able to have a face to face discussion with President Megawati, very important at the moment, and the discussion with President Bush and with other leaders as well. But Bali and its aftermath has not left my consciousness at any time since I’ve been away.
JOURNALIST:
Just on the discussion with President Bush – did he indicate that after the Congressional campaign would be a good chance for the Americans to proceed with a free trade agreement?
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s been argued for some time that we will certainly start negotiations. Starting negotiations is not the hard bit. The hard bit is bringing them to a successful conclusion.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, do you support Dr Hollingworth’s decision to adopt a lower profile…
PRIME MINISTER:
Look Michael I’m not going to start commenting on individual diary decisions by the Governor General. It’s a matter for him. Forget it, I’m not going to start talking about those sorts of things.
JOURNALIST:
Do you believe he still enjoys the popular support in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Governor General? The Governor General is doing a very good job and he has my strong support, very strong support, and I think there are some people around who just revel in an opportunity of having a go. And I think they’re unfair and quite unreasonable. But as to his diary, that’s a matter for him. I don’t answer questions on his diary. That is entirely a matter for him. See you back home.
[ends]