Subject:
Indigenous emergency
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
I understand that a number of people have sent me a letter asking for more consultation about our intervention in the Northern Territory, my reply to that is that my Government has never stopped talking to indigenous people, but what has to be understood now is that the old approach has not worked and if we are to save generation of indigenous children from the most appalling abuse we must intervene in the way that I have outlined and we will maintain our position very strongly, we believe it is right and we believe that by providing communities through greater law and order with a breathing space we can begin to address problems of health and education, which sadly because of the chaotic state of those communities have not been sufficiently addressed in the past.
JOURNALIST:
Labor supported Noel Pearson's plan, are you now concerned that that means they're backing away from their in-principle support for your proposals?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Noel Pearson's views on this issue and mine are very similar. As far as the Labor Party is concerned it is sending confusing signals. Mr Rudd says he supports our plan yet a number of Labor Premiers are attacking me. But that's their problem. They'll have to explain that. I'm not especially interested in their confusion. I'm just committed to implementing our plan and we will go ahead with that and not be deterred in anyway.
JOURNALIST:
Would you be concerned or disappointed though with Kevin Rudd did back away from that......
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I'm not going to give a commentary on Mr Rudd, you ask Mr Rudd questions about Mr Rudd's position. The public knows where we stand and it's for the Labor Party to explain the different signals it is sending to the community.
JOURNALIST:
Are you surprised that Noel Pearson has aligned with Labor....
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
Are you surprised that Labor has aligned with....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Noel Pearson talks a lot of sense and...but look, the purpose of this is not to get into a debate about political position, it is to solve the problem and we have embarked on a course of action which is the right thing to protect the indigenous children of the Northern Territory and we intend to go ahead with that. We've made very good progress but it's going to take time, it's going to take a long time and there are going to be difficulties along the way. But it's the greatest obligation we have and the plan that we have laid out is necessary because the old approach has failed.
JOURNALIST:
...that your plan was dramatic, do you think that this is one of the most drastic or dramatic things that you've done....
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look I don't want to get into that sort of debate, that's irrelevant, what matters is the substance of what we are trying to do, not some kind of scale of activity. Thank you.
[ends]