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4BR A V0 SECOND VISIT TO US 1969
SYDNEY
RETURN PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE PRIME
MINISTER, MR JOHN GORTON, ON ARRIVAL AT MiXC OT
AIRPORT. 14 MAY 1969
PRIME MINISTER: I am not going to be able to tell you anything much. You
realise that, of course, because I will be making a statement to
Parliament and I won't be answering questions concerning the trip
until I have made the statement.
Q. Will there be any surprises, Sir, in your report to
Parliament?
PM: Oh, I don't think so. I hope it will be of interest.
Q. When will you be making your report, Sir?
PM: I am going to try to make it tomorrow night.
Q. How would you describe the visit, Sir?
PM: Well, it was hectic but I believe it was well worthwhile for
a number of reasons which I will be putting before Parliament.
Q. Is it too much to expect an explanation of your Waltzing
Matilda statement?
PM: Why, does it need an explanation?
Q. Well can you tell us what the thinking was at the time
you. made that statement?
PM: My thinking is that Australia has always supported a
resistance to armed aggression, has always supported attempts to
raise material standards of living of the people in the world and 1
would be surprised if anybody thought we shouldn't continue to support
that.
Q. Sir, can you tell us the topics you discussed while you
were with President Nixon?
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PM: No. I don't think I should do that either at this point of
time. This is' really a bit awkward because after all I have only
just got back. I have to report to Parliament and I will list all the
topics we discussed and what we said about them and then it will be
a subject for debate.
Q. I am certain Parliament wouldn't mind if you told us how
you wrenched your back horse-Wiing?
PM: I didn't wrench my back horse-riding. . I will tell you
exactly what happened. I had a couple of pressmen up there. Of
course they are all very good men pressmen but there were a
couple of pressmen up there who said " Can we come and have a
drink with you before dinner one nigheand I said, " Yes So they
came and had a drink before dinner and I said, " I've got a bit of a
stiff back. I was riding a rather rough horse today. The next
thing I know I had fallen off the horse and broken my back. and
whatever it is, you've read it:
Q. Sir, while you were away, Senator Fulbright said that
he had no doubt that any US Sena tor would be able to get into either
Woomera or Pine Gap bases. These bases have been denied to
Australian MPs. Have you any comment on this?
P M: No comment.
Q. What was your opinion of this man who is so critical of
the Vietnam war?
PM: Well, I had met him before and I like him. He is a very
forthright sort of a man and it is a pleasure to be forthright back to
him.
Q. Sir, will any US Senators be able to get into these bases?
PM: I couldn't tell you ' that at this stage.
Q. Did President Nixon tell you what he is going to tell the
nation today, Sir?
PM: No, but he will be doing this today, I believe.
Q. Before your official statement?
PM: Yes.
Q. H-ave you had any advice, Sir, of anything he is going to
say in it? ,3
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PM: Oh, I think it miould interest Australia but 1 don't believe
it would be anything terribly significant at this point, but I haven't
yet seen it.
Q. Prime Minister will your report to Parliament cover only
your discussions with President Nixon or also, for example, your
discussions with Mr Laird on the Fill?
PM: The Fli will form~ a part of the statement.
Q. Broadly, Sir, how would you sum up your tour as
successful or more successful than you had hoped?
PM: I don't know that it is for me to sum it up. I believe it
was successful. It is for other people to assess it themnselves. I
think it was successful. Indeed, I believe that the statement issued
by the President alone was a fairly successful outcome in the
reaffirmation and underlining of the ANZUS Treaty.
Q. Did you have any disappointments, Sir?
PM: No, I don't think so.
Q. Were there any ma tters that will have to be followed up
in subsequent talks with the President? Were there any things
that were left incomplete by these talks?
PM: I think probably not followed up in subsequent talks with
the President. There are obviously technical matters vmh ich will
have to be followed up.
Q. Any indication when President Nixon might be able to
tour Australia, Sir?
PM: No definite indication, but I hope next year.
Q. Any plans at this stage for returning to the White House?
PM: Gosh no. Listen, I think in this last year approximately
a year I've been to New Zealand, I've been around Asia, I've been
to America, I've been tp England, I've been to America, I've been
to America again. I have just had thirty hours flying back. I would
just as soon stay here for a while.
Q. Sir, to get back to this question of visits of US politicians
to these bases. You said you were unable to tell us at this moment.
Is that because the whole thing was / 4
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PM: No, I can't tell you at this moment.
Q. Sir, do you believe the W altzing Matilda statement will
be politically damaging to you as it was with Mr Holt with his " All
the Way with LBJ"?
PM: No. In fact I would be quite pleased if somebody from
the Opposition, for example, got up and said they didn't believe
that Australia ought to resist aggression, and they didn't believe
Australia ought to go along with people improving material standards
of living. Australia has never reneged from doing this sort of thing
before and I don't see why it should now.
Q. Did it come as a shock to you, Sir, that there was another
major fault with the Fill?
PM: 1 don't know which one you are talking aboutl