Subject:
Senator Ian Campbell
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen it is with regret that I accepted the resignation of Senator Ian Campbell and I am extremely sorry that this event has occurred. It's important to note that the circumstances of Ian Campbell's meeting with Brian Burke were entirely different from those surrounding Mr Rudd's meetings with Brian Burke. The meeting occurred in the normal course of the operation of Senator Campbell's then portfolio. The circumstances were entirely benign. Senator Campbell was not seeking any favour, support, preferment or patronage from Mr Burke. He was responding to some representations from racing authorities in Western Australia for whom Mr Burke was a lobbyist. It was nonetheless an error of judgement given all of the circumstances surrounding Mr Burke that Senator Campbell should have met him, not withstanding the very benign circumstances. I think it's fair to say that Senator Campbell has been a very good minister and he has paid a very high price for that lack of judgement and whilst I have made, and cannot and will not make any commentary, there is no reason why he might not serve in some future Coalition Government. But ladies and gentlemen, millions of Australians will now say Senator Campbell, having fallen on his sword, it is only reasonable that at the very least Mr Rudd at last comes clean, finally, about what really happened at those meetings with Mr Burke, what their true purpose was. It clear from emerging evidence that Mr Rudd has many questions to answer arising from this, that those meetings were about securing the patronage and support of Mr Burke for Mr Rudd in relation to a future tilt against the Labor leadership. I believe that Mr Rudd should be held to account for the accuracy of the statements he made at his news conference following parliament on Thursday afternoon. The statements he made at that news conference have been contradicted by many reports in the press this morning, including the release of an email signed by Mr Burke inviting people to attend a dinner. You do not have somebody as a guest of honour at a dinner without asking them in advance whether they are prepared to come to the dinner and the evidence apparently emanating from that email is in direct contradiction to the claims repeatedly made by Mr Rudd that he went along as a guest of Mr Graham Edwards his parliamentary colleague. Now we are dealing here with the candour of the alternative prime minister of Australia, his honesty in dealing with the Australian people, that is what we are dealing with and Mr Rudd has questions to answer, he has to explain and come clean about the true purpose of those meetings. And his explanations are increasingly unbelievable, with evidence as it emerges, and I think the Australian people at the very, very least are entitled to a full account of what happened, an admission from him that the real purpose of those meetings was to advance his political career and an acknowledgment that in trying to pretend otherwise he has misled the Australian people. Senator Campbell has behaved with total honour and total integrity. His reputation and integrity remain intact. The Australian people want a full explanation from Mr Rudd.
JOURNALIST:
Did you seek Senator Campbell's resignation?
PRIME MINISTER:
I had a discussion with Senator Campbell and he indicated that he would resign and he has issued a statement and has conducted a news conference in Western Australia explaining the circumstances of it. I am very sorry that this has happened. I have a high regard for him. He did display bad judgement seeing Mr Burke, he's paid a very high price, a very high price indeed and many people will therefore believe with increasing intensity that Mr Rudd must be held to account for his behaviour. I mean bear in mind that Mr Rudd met Mr Burke on three occasions and it clear to most people that the purpose of those meetings, particularly the dinner, was to advance Mr Rudd's political career. That in itself is not a crime to want to advance your political career, but to run the risk of putting yourself in debt to somebody such as Mr Burke to advance your political career raises very serious questions about your political judgement, particularly as you are aspiring to the highest office in this country.
JOURNALIST:
Did you suggest that he resign?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, we had a discussion, a lengthy discussion about the whole matter and he has tendered his resignation.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister just a few moments ago Mr Rudd has requested that you call for an election....
PRIME MINISTER:
Call for an election? No, I think what Mr Rudd should do is answer some questions. Mr Rudd is now under the pump, Mr Rudd has got to explain what really happened and calling for elections has got nothing to do with being candid with the Australian people. There will be an election in the normal course, towards the end of this year, but I think what Mr Rudd has to do is to tell us exactly what happened at those meetings and explain to the Australian people why he apparently misled them during his news conference last Thursday afternoon. Because what he said there is in direct contradiction to what has emerged, both in the Australian newspaper this morning and also in the Western Australian newspaper, the publication of the email. I mean it beggars belief that people invited to a dinner with Mr Rudd as the guest of honour are going to a dinner where Mr Rudd is only going along because Graham Edwards invited him to come along. I mean that really does beggar belief.
JOURNALIST:
Peter Costello says that anyone who's ah..meets Mr Burke is morally and politically compromised, (inaudible) you describe your former cabinet Minister as behaving with total integrity?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the circumstances of his meeting are totally different. But anyway he's resigned, Mr Rudd hasn't, Mr Rudd is still pretending that this was all about just a casual encounter, that he was only there because his mate Graham Edwards invited him to go. I mean that is plainly an unsustainable explanation and he must explain to the Australian people what exactly happened and also why he has sort to deceive them and he's got to answer that, that's the issue, he's got to answer that. And the pressure, and the heat is on him to answer those questions.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, what Mr Rudd has got to do is come clean with the Australian people, come clean, tell the truth about what really happened and explain why it was that he misled the Australian public, misled the journalists of Australia, misled the Australian public through them about the circumstances of that gathering and he has no excuses. He can't hide behind references to other people, he's got no excuses, and he has to give a full explanation and he has a lot of questions to answer.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, are you concerned that any more members of the Coalition may have met Mr Burke?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not concerned about that, no, I'm not concerned about members of my Government.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I'll say something about that tomorrow. Thank you.
[ends]