Subject:
Greek Fires; Equine Flu.
E&OE...
WILLESEE:
Joining us on the line with details in Prime Minister John Howard. Mr Howard, thank you for your time this evening. Now what exactly can you tell us of the Australian Government offer?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we're going to offer at this stage some $3 million to the Greek Government to use in whatever way it thinks fit to help the victims and generally to deal with the situation. I have also asked Commonwealth and state officials to assess what fire fighting expertise Australia might usefully make available to the Greek authorities. As everyone knows, we have a lot of expertise in this area. We have highly trained incident managers and wildfire fighters with extensive domestic and international experience. We have offered fire fighters in the past. We have offered them to the United States and to New Zealand and I am getting an assessment made urgently as to whether we can assist. That will involve, of course, some discussion and contact with the Greek authorities. We feel very keenly for the people of Greece, the links between our two countries are very close. We are concerned about the...and saddened by the loss of life and we're particularly aware of the possibility that Greek-Australian families could in different ways have been affected. These are horrific fires and the loss of life of now more than 60 is quite amazing and very, very distressing. So it's only natural that a country that feels very keenly for Greece and the Greek people would want to help.
LATIMORE:
Prime Minister as you say a very tragic loss of life in Greece, have you been in contact with your Greek counterpart?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have written to the Greek Prime Minister already to express my sympathy and to convey the offer that I have just outlined to you. He obviously has his hands full. You've seen the pictures, it's very graphic and it's quite disastrous and I know that many thousands of Greek-Australians particularly those who have loved ones and relatives in the affected areas will be not only anxious but extremely keen to do whatever they can, and they will want their Government here in Australia to do whatever it can to help the people of Greece.
LATIMORE:
Prime Minister, we know you're short for time, a quick question on the horse flu epidemic that is showing no sign of slowing down here. Is that something the Federal Government might get involved in?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we're already very heavily involved. Peter McGauran as the Federal Agriculture Minister has been right across the situation from the very beginning. He's working very closely with the state authorities. The relevant federal body that brings together the veterinary experts from different parts of Australia met over the weekend and the Federal Government is assisting in national coordination. It is a very serious threat to a wonderful industry and it's coming at a time which represents the peak operating season of the racing industry in Australia and it's just a reminder of just how absolutely precious things relating to the handling of animals and quarantine really are. But certainly Mr McGauran is working very closely with his state colleagues and with the industry to minimise the impact of what is a very serious outbreak.
WILLESEE:
Indeed Prime Minister we thank you for your time this evening.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]