PM: Good morning everybody, I will make few remarks about Afghanistan and India then throw open to you if that is ok. Yesterday I visited Afghanistan. This was my third visit to Afghanistan as Prime Minister. It was both a privilege and an honour to spend time with the Australia troops on the ground and to spend some with time with them overnight as well. I thanked them on behalf of the Government and the Australian people for their service to the country, in what is a very difficult and dangerous operating environment.
Australia owes all our troops on the ground a debt of gratitude. Every day they are fighting to ensure that Afghanistan has a future, a future based on stability, a future based on that county's ability to provide security to its people and also to fight to ensure that that country does not become again a safe haven for terrorists such as those who undertook terrorist attacks in September 2001.
I was also in Afghanistan for Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is a solemn day for all Australians. It is a solemn day in many countries around the world. It is particularly solemn when you are participating in Remembrance Day ceremonies in a theatre of war in which Australia is engaged. It takes on a special significance, particularly given the number of Australians who have lost their lives in Australia's service in that country.
While I was in Tarin Kowt, I also had the opportunity of spending several hours with General McChrystal, who is the commander of all ICAT forces in Afghanistan.
General McChrystal was able to brief me on the overall strategic situation in Afghanistan, the challenges of providing security, building governance as well as delivering development assistance in the face of what is a growing insurgency threat, particularly in the south of the country.
General McChrystal and I discussed with the Australian Defence minister, Senator Faulkner the particular importance of Oruzgan Province in that context. General McChrystal had nothing but praise for the performance of Australian troops in the field. He particularly had praise also for our embedded officers working in his command headquarters in Kabul, and for our Australians working in command headquarters of General Rodriguez, the joint operational command in Kabul, as well as those who are within the command operations in Kandahar in the south.
General McChrystal and others commented to me, that the training function being performed by Australian troops on the ground for the Afghan National Army is absolutely first class, and represents the way in which this training should be done. That is, training with the ANA, Afghan National Army, in the field, on active operations. This is a model for the way in which training, well broadly, needs to be undertaken for the Afghan National Army in the future.
I also received briefings from Major General Mark Kelly on the specific activities of our mentoring program of the Afghan National Army, in country, the reconstruction efforts being undertaken by the reconstruction task force as well as the particular operation with our special forces.
I also met with representatives of the civilian component of our commitment led by our Ambassador in Kabul and the governor of Oruzgan Province and the Minister for (inaudible) and rehabilitation and development. I also had the opportunity to speak directly on the telephone with President Karzai concerning our future cooperation with his government on the development task and the security task within his country.
Our forces on the ground have achieved real success since the last time I visited there at the end of last year. Specifically our forces have significantly disrupted insurgent networks in Oruzgan. The perimeter within which they operate has now expanded compared with where we were twelve months ago and this of course has not been achieved without sacrifice.
Also, the increased training now being provided by Afghan battalions as part of the raising of the fourth brigade of the Afghan National Army is proceeding and training has began of the third Afghan kandak, that is, an Afghan battalion as part of the fourth brigade.
On the infrastructure front, we have completed important infrastructure projects including the rebuilding of schools, of medical centres, of roads, of bridges as well as barracks for Afghan troops. Also through the activity of the trades training centre at the base at Tarin Kowt, we are also providing active training for hundreds of trades people who are now out there working on projects which have been delivered by Australia and other forms of national development assistance. In other words, those who are trained with skills are now out there working as contractors, obtaining work to build projects. So it is not just the construction of projects it's also the employment opportunities which have arisen as a result.
Our mission in Afghanistan remains difficult and it remains very dangerous. I would not wish to underestimate the challenges which lie ahead particularly given the challenges arising from the deepening and growing insurgency threat on the part of the Taliban in the southern part of the country.
I've made it clear on many occasions that Australia is in Afghanistan for the long haul. I reiterated that statement when I was in Afghanistan. I reiterated that statement also in my discussions with General McChrystal.
Turning to India, today in India I'll be meeting with President Patil, Vice President Ansari, the Minister for the Environment, the President of the Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi as well as spending discussions this evening, and dinner this evening, with Prime Minister Singh and other Indian Government Ministers.
India is a fundamentally important relationship for Australia. It is so strategically, it is so economically. India already is Australia's fourth largest trading partner. Our exports here, grew 65 per cent in 2008 -09 over the previous year. India is also expected to be the world's third largest economy by 2030. Therefore we are dealing with a major regional and global economic powerhouse of the future. Our challenge is to deepen and broaden our relationship and engagement with India for the long term.
This visit of mine to India comes on top of recent visits by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Immigration Minister and the Trade Minister. There have been, in the period that the Government has been in office, some ten Indian ministerial visits to Australia. There have been nine from Australia to India, this marks the tenth in our direction. This represents a deepening intensity of the two-way relationship.
Australia's and India's interests are converging. Our economies are increasingly complimentary. This country also represents a model in terms of how democracies operate in the developing world. Representing, as it does, the world's largest democracy. We also work with India, not just bi-laterally, but regionally and globally. Regionally of course, with the East-Asian summit, globally through the G20 and through the United Nations.
We're also working closely with India both through the United Nations and the G20 deliberations on climate change. We're also working actively of course, with the Indians on the whole challenge of global economic response to the global financial crisis. This has been an important and growing general relationship at the global and regional level.
Finally, we have also, together with our friends in India, indicated that we'll be expanding in particular, overall cooperation when it comes to science and technology. We the Australian Government will be investing some $50 million over five years of increased funding for the Australia/ India strategic research fund. India will be replicating that funding from its own direction as well.
These research projects will concentrate on a range of priority areas including renewable energy, agricultural research and vaccines. In addition Australia is investing in $1 million in a joint solar cooling project and increasing our existing investment to $20 million over five years for research in to dry-land farming through the Australian centre for international agriculture research. In so many areas India and Australia are natural partners.
I conclude by saying this - in many respects the Australia/ India relationship in previous decades has been something of stop-start. There has been something in the Australia/ India relationship of on-again, off-again. This is of no particular responsibility to any Australian government that preceded the one that I lead or is it the responsibility of the previous Indian government. It's a reflection of the facts. Therefore our challenge for the future, given we are engaging such a strategically important country as India and an economy of such regional and global weight as India. To turn this stop-start relationship in the past into one which is on a deeper, broader, comprehensive, strategic basis for the future.
In my private discussions with Mr Singh, that has been our common resolve and we have reflected on this in many discussions in G20 and other meetings around the world over the last year or two. The purpose of this visit to India today is to consolidate that and take the relationship forward on a comprehensive, sustainable and strategic level for the future across all fields.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it is now our eighth year in Afghanistan, you talk of a (inaudible) for the long haul (inaudible) twice as long as the Second World War. You've just written another blank cheque haven't you?
PM: No. I've simply reiterated what I've said already to the Australian public at home. Which is we are in Afghanistan for the long haul. Secondly, I've reiterated to General McChrystal and of course our partners in Afghanistan, our mission statement. What's our mission statement? To help train the Afghan National Army and specifically the battalion constituent parts of the fourth brigade of the Afghan National Army so in time we can transfer security for the province of Oruzgan to the Afghan National Army.
Secondly, supplementing that, with intense training efforts now being undertaken by the Australian Federal Police and others in Tarin Kowt at the Afghan national police force. Already our training officers from the AFP have graduated more than 450 Afghan national police trainers from the police training college located within our base there.
The third element is of course, providing a viable economic future for the province itself and in my discussions yesterday with the Governor of the province, the Governor of Oruzgan. We will be deepening our development assistance relationship with Afghanistan and province in terms of building that third leg of our engagement.
What is our mission? Our mission is to transfer responsibility for the security, for the policing and the civilian administration of that province to the Afghan people, at the conclusion of our mission. That will take time. I've been upfront with the Australian people at home about this and said it will require us being there for the long haul and what I said yesterday reiterated that.
JOUNALIST: Prime Minister (inaudible) in light of the imminent withdrawal of the Dutch (inaudible) And seeing we are in India, do you think it's time that these emerging regional powerhouses like India and China stepped up to the plate and started to contribute to the major security concerns in the region and put some boots on the ground in Afghanistan?
PM: Let me take the first part of your question which concerns the future of, sorry I got distracted, what's the first part of your question about security?
JOURNALIST: The Dutch.
PM: The Dutch. That's right. There is a complex debate underway in The Hague at the moment, concerning the Dutch parliament and concerning the Dutch coalition government. I last night spoke with Prime Minister Balkenende of the Netherlands about that. This is a difficult debate in his country and of course we in Australia and our American allies would want to see the Netherlands have a longer term role.
Secondly, we appreciate the fact that we have worked closely with the Dutch up until now and they have been great partners. In fact the last time I travelled to Afghanistan, because of weather conditions, Dutch apache helicopters transported us from Kandahar into Tarin Kowt and their support with so many of our operations has been very good.
Thirdly, obviously there are real problems with the rising Taliban insurgency in the south of the country. What does the south of the country mean? Provinces like Kandahar, provinces (inaudible) provinces like also the northern periphery of those provinces, Oruzgan. I wish to be very frank about the depth of the challenge which lies ahead, but equally frank about the importance of reflecting a common resolve on the part of the allies of the United States and the partners of the Afghanistan government that we will not leave that country in the lurch. That we will be with that country for the long haul.
It is in Australia's national interest that we don't not surrender it again to be a training ground for terrorists. Let us reflect on the fact that it has not been one since the Afghanistan war of 2001-02.
On the second part which is about China and India. My understanding from previous discussions with the Afghanistan government is that China is now running a development assistance program with the Afghanistan government. India, I understand is also enhancing its diplomatic and development assistance profile in that country.
On the question of which countries contribute what by way of military effort, of course that's a call for those individual countries. My concern, as Prime Minister of Australia, is to work effectively with the assets we have on the ground with our allies and partners in that country and very closely of course with the United States.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister you (inaudible) the warmest spirit of the Hawke and Keating governments economic reforms. What does it say about your stomach for reform, that you've been unable to cut through the vested interests of the publishing industry to deliver cheaper books for Australia?
PM: It means that the 27 of areas of micro-economic reform which we've agreed through the Council Australian of Governments proceed apace. Including for the first time, reforms such as, a common approach to occupational health and safety across all governments. A reform which all previous Australian governments have regarded as too hard, too difficult to even touch. We're embracing that and we've made significant progress on it and in other areas.
On the question of the book industry, obviously it's a controversial debate in Australia and once which actually also goes to the heart of Australian culture as well. Difficult decision, I fully support the decision of the Australian Cabinet. Furthermore can I say, when it comes to our micro-economic reform agenda, it is vast, it is comprehensive. It's across the entire regulatory agenda of the Commonwealth and the states. It is proceeding at pace.
If you speak to those who follow these debates closely, including the Business Council of Australia, they cannot point to a previous time in Australian economic history when there has not been a more intensive effort across so many regulatory reform measures between the Australian and state governments.
Remember, the call us at the 2020 Summit by the Australian business community was to create a seamless national economy, to undertake fundamental review and reform of the Australian taxation system, the first in a quarter of a century, in order to produce a tax system which is suits our designs in the 21st century. Our reform agenda proceeds apace.
(inaudible)
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister do you think the issue of uranium (inaudible) Prime Minister Singh (inaudible)
PM: On this question, remember that Australia worked very closely with the Government of India and the Government of the United States in obtaining the support of the nuclear suppliers group so that India could obtain, shall I say, the supply of inputs to its own nuclear program from around the world. We worked actively and constructively with New Delhi on that. We did so, I've got say, in close concert with the then Bush administration. We also worked in close concert with other countries around the world, some of whom had reservations about that action.
On the question of bilateral uranium sales, can I say that our policy remains governed by the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. That has been the case in the past. The Non-Proliferation Treaty and our policy in relation to it, as underpinning our attitude to uranium sales is not targeted at any individual country. It has been long-standing Australian Government policy.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: The relationship which we have with the Indonesian Government is a very, very good relationship, and together with President Yudhoyono and others, we work through a range of difficult security challenges every day of the week, most of which never make it to the front pages of any newspaper in the world, or in Australia. And these go to the whole breadth of counter-terrorism and go to the whole breadth of people smuggling, the whole breadth of all the other international criminal activities in which we're engaged, quite apart from our expanding border security cooperation.
In relation to this specific vessel, can I just say this, consistent with what I've said in Australia, no protests, no threats of protest, no threats of hunger strikes, no hunger strikes, will cause the Australian Government to change its policy on border protection. Can I say in addition to that that we, therefore, will work through this, as we have done with other challenges in the past and will do so in the future - calmly, methodically, and we're doing so in close cooperation with our Indonesian partners.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you say you want (inaudible) Isn't that saying that NATO (inaudible) south of the country, and following on from that, your meeting with General McChrystal, do you share not only his view that (inaudible) more troops, but without naming a number (inaudible)?
PM: Firstly, given the density of the security challenge in Afghanistan, including the mounting Taliban insurgency in the south of the country, it follows that General McChrystal has made certain recommendations about enhancing the global military effort in Afghanistan, including recommendations to his own Government. How President Obama responds to the McChrystal report is a matter for the Government of the United States of America. I think it is important for all countries around the world to reflect on their contributions to Afghanistan.
Remember, what this Government did in March of this year was increase our own troop commitment by some 40 percent. We are now actively taking on broad training responsibilities for raising an Afghan army brigade. That is necessary to fulfil our mission. It's a necessary precondition also for Australia exiting that country.
Secondly, you ask the question about the intensity of the insurgency threat in the south.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Can I just say this: I want to be blunt with the Australian people about the depth of the challenge we face. I see no point at all about gilding the lily and just saying that this is going to be some walkover. It will not be. However, the task of all countries, including ours, is to not leave our friends and partners in the lurch. It is to stay for the long haul.
Plainly, there has been a mounting insurgency in the south of the country. That is true. We simply however, have two alternatives in response to that fact. One is to turn tail and run. The second is to confront the challenge. Australia is on the side of those who confront the challenge.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, can you elaborate on the conversation with your Dutch counterpart. Did you actually put a request in for the Dutch to stay (inaudible) The Traveston Dam decision, is that a rebuff to Anna Bligh?
PM: I can't see the connection between your two questions, but I'll work one up (inaudible). I flew over some dams recently in Afghanistan. Extraordinary landscape, that country.
Can I just add one, sort of, end to that question which you've raised before I go to the two that you had put. You know, there's a lot of hard things happening out there in Afghanistan, really hard things, but each time you speak to our troops coming back from operations, it's pretty inspiring, what they are actually achieving on the ground. I mean, genuinely inspiring stuff. Lots of basic courage, lots of real heroism, and making real changes on the ground.
Our achievements in Oruzgan Province have been, frankly, against Afghan national standards, quite outstanding. And there are bits of good news which emerge as well. I mean, to be able to sit down yesterday and with General McChrystal have an active conversation with Sabi the dog, this is Trooper Donaldson's dog, who is, I don't know if you're across this story, but it's just quite remarkable.
This dog has been missing for 14 months, since the incident in which Trooper Donaldson was subsequently awarded his Victoria Cross, and then Sabi, as I'm advised, then was taken by the other side, and then Americans subsequently found Sabi and Sabi has been returned to Tarin Kowt. And now it'll be working with AQIS and others to ensure Sabi's eventual return to Australia. I fear AQIS may be the greatest challenge.
Can I just say, things like that, they may seem small, but in fact the symbolism is quite strong. The symbolism of it is us, out there, doing a job. We haven't awarded any Australian a Victoria Cross for 40 years. Trooper Donaldson stands out there as an Australian hero, and now his dog, Sabi, back home in one piece. A genuinely nice pooch as well.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: (inaudible) interpretation for General McChrystal. Now, back to your points about the Dutch, well, I'd better conclude soon, and Traveston.
Look, I had a good conversation with Jan Peter Balkenende last night. We know each other well, we're good friends. But as you would expect, in any diplomatic conversation, I don't go to its content. We have stated in the past that we would our friends in the Netherlands to remain with us in some form or another for the long term, with us in Afghanistan. There's nothing new in that, but I won't go to the detail of the conversation with Prime Minister Balkenende last night.
On the question of Traveston, I have said consistently, for a long, long time, that Minister Garrett, as he's required under the EPBC Act, would make an independent, unfettered decision based on the environmental merits of the matter put before him. He's already provided as I'm advised, in his statement an indication of his decision. I understand that there's a formal requirement of the Act that there be a further process which ensues. Therefore I don't wish to comment on the substance of his decision, other than I have every confidence, as I've said in the past, that the Minister is properly discharging his functions under the Act.
I'm actually late for something, so can I just take one here, and one there, but it's got to be quick, OK?
JOURNALIST: The ABC (inaudible)
PM: Can I just say on that I would really prefer to be further briefed. I've been actively engaged on a few other matters in recent times, so I'd actually rather get fully briefed before answering that one, if that's OK.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) back to the Oceanic Viking issue, and (inaudible) offering settlement processing in a month. Now, that's actually much better than people who get on Christmas Island. Why would (inaudible)
PM: Can I say firstly, on the contents of the document you refer to, I am not fully briefed. I got in here late last night. Secondly, normal resettlement processes, consistent with the UNHCR would apply. In terms of timeframes, my understanding, in various circumstances around the world, those timeframes vary between shorter and longer. The specifics concerning this particular exchange with those on board I am not familiar with. I'm confident they'd be consistent with overall UNHCR processes.
Folks, having said that, I've really got to zip (inaudible)