Subject:
Indigenous emergency; Australian Forces in the Gulf.
E&OE...
DOYLE:
So what difference will the Prime Minister's plan really make?
KOCH:
And should it be introduced in other parts of the country? Prime Minister John Howard joins us this morning. Prime Minister, thanks for joining us.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning.
KOCH:
As Priscilla was saying and a lot of our viewers have been saying, this issue has been around a long time, people seem to have wallpapered over it. What has been the catalyst for you to make these decisions?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the catalyst for me was the report that came out about 10 days ago. It was an appalling report that described in detail the most terrible abuse of young children from a very tender age. And concern about sexual abuse of Aboriginal children has been something of a mission for Mal Brough from the moment he became the Minister about 18 months ago and we have spent have spent a lot of money on the issue through the Northern Territory; and if it hadn't been for Mal this report would never have been commissioned. But David, this is fundamentally not a financial issue. It is a responsibility, law and order issue. And, sure, you always need resources but if people say all you've got to do is give us more resources and the problem will be fixed, that is nonsense. What we have got to do is confront the fact that these communities have broken down. The basic elements of a civilised society don't exist. What civilised society would allow children from a tender age to become objects of sexual abuse? What responsible Government anywhere in this country can allow that to happen within their jurisdiction? That is really why we have decided to act. And I mean we can have these speeches from anybody about oh you know, you need more resources, it's all the fault of the Government. Look, sure, government's are to blame for a lot of things but so are parents, so are individuals, so are communities. And, you know, what absence of funds justifies the sexual abuse of children?
KOCH:
Do you reckon that's been our problem in the past, that we thought money could fix it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely.
KOCH:
And now, what, we're just going to say right we got to take a hardline approach as you say?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it is a hardline approach in the sense that we are moving in, we are going to take control, we are going to ban alcohol, we are going to quarantine 50 per cent of the social welfare payments to make sure they go on food and essentials for children. Can I say in a crisis like this, what is wrong with that? I mean it is, after all, the responsibility that we all have and we cannot turn a blind eye to the abuse and neglect of children. I mean it is a terrible thing. What greater responsibility does any Government have? I mean these kids have never understood the notion of childhood innocence. It's a terrible thing that they are growing up in our country and, frankly, we can have all sorts of debates about the past, we could have all sorts of debates about theory of indigenous policy and so forth, and I will be slammed for taking away people's rights and so forth; frankly, I don't care about that because I do know that the greatest responsibility I and others have got is the protection of the vulnerable in our community and nobody is more vulnerable than a little child.
DOYLE:
I understand that you've stepped in and overridden the Territory's laws. You weren't happy with the way they were responding. Do you see this happening to other states? Are you challenging other States to follow your lead?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, I do. New South Wales has had a report and it's got to act. It's got essentially the same problems. Western Australia has. And what I am saying to the premiers of those states, you do in your states what I am proposing to do in the Territory.
DOYLE:
If they don't, would you? Would you go right across the country?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we don't have the constitutional power. I mean, we can't take over communities in New South Wales or Western Australia without having a referendum, without getting a referral of powers; you know how complicated all of that is, trying to go down that path is pointless. All I can do is to appeal to the premiers to recognise that they have the same responsibility in their areas to act as I have. Now we can act in the Territory because it is not a state. Now, I will work with the Territory Government and I am not really interested in going back over the past and apportioning blame. There is a problem. It is a national emergency. Nothing is more important than protecting vulnerable children. And it really isn't at heart a money issue. Money is important, but it is really recognising that if you have a dysfunctional community the old approach has failed totally and you have to adopt a new approach and if that means extra authority from the top for a period of time, well that is how it has got to be. If that means banning grog that is how it's got to be. If that means getting hold of welfare and making sure it goes into food for children, that is how it's going to be.
KOCH:
Yep. And I think it reflects the sense of frustration of the general Australian community to this. As you say, the old way hasn't worked. We have got to try something new. We are getting a lot of viewer questions saying you mention the use of use of the military in this. How will they be used?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well in a backup sense. The actual policing work will be done by police officers seconded from all around Australia, but we have the military, they have logistics, they have vehicles, they have communications and we will try and see that they are made available in a support capacity.
KOCH:
And just on the issue as well in terms of, a lot of people are saying well why just do it to the indigenous community? Will these rules, particularly making sure your kids go to school and all that sort of stuff, tying welfare payments to it, will that apply to white welfare recipients as well?
PRIME MINISTER:
We are looking at that very issue at our next Cabinet meeting and the Minister is bringing a submission to look at extending that concept all around the country and we can do that. What we are really saying is that if you get a situation where parents are not responsibly spending the benefits they get on the welfare of their children, then some of those benefits can be quarantined to ensure that they are spent for the welfare of their children. And this is a view that the Government has, irrespective of the colour of the parent's skin. It has got nothing to do with race; it's got everything to do with responsibility of the parents. And it's just that the worst examples in Australia are to be found in many of these Aboriginal communities, but that is not to say that in other cases you won't get that sort of thing occurring.
DOYLE:
Prime Minister can I ask you a quick one before I let you go too, and hopefully you can inform us on this one. There's some reports coming in from the BBC this morning that Australian navy boarding crew in the Gulf repelled a kidnap attempt by an Iranian gunboat just a few weeks before those British sailors were captured in a similar incident. Do you know anything about this, can you confirm it at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I am not in a position to confirm that. I will be getting some further advice on it later this morning. The only thing I can say is that the people we have in the Gulf are engaged on very dangerous work and the Royal Australian Navy has done a fantastic job and a very courageous job. But as to the particulars of that claim, I am not advised and I can't help you further.
DOYLE:
Alright, I understand.
KOCH:
We do a terrific job. In fact an Aussie commands the allied fleet in the Gulf protecting that oil platform.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes .
KOCH:
They're so well regarded.
PRIME MINISTER:
They are. I mean there is a rotating arrangement and an Australian is often in command of the multinational force. They do do a fantastic job and we should remind ourselves that it is dangerous work 24 hours a day.
DOYLE:
That it is. Prime Minister thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]