PRIME MINISTER:
Today's unemployment figure is very good. It shows a small fall in the unempoyment rate and that's against predictions. It shows that the Australian economy, despite the drought and despite the sluggish world economy, is still continuing to grow and that's very encouraging. And for the first time in 20 years, Australia's unemployment rate is now below that of the United States. You have to go back to 1983 to find Australia's unemployment rate below that of the United States and that's just another sign of how well the Australian economy is doing in times of increasing adversity. There is no doubt that the drought and the sluggish world economy have slowed our rate of economic growth, but it is still very strong and today's employment news is very encouraging.
JOURNALIST:
What do you attribute that figure to?
PRIME MINISTER:
A fundamentally very strong economy and in places like Gladstone, a continued commitment by the Federal Government to sensible policies on things like the Kyoto agreement. If we adopted Labor's policy and ratified the Kyoto agreement, that would deliver a lethal blow to towns like Gladstone because Kyoto imposes unfair burdens on Australia. What we can do is to meet the admission targets, the greenhouse gas targets out of Kyoto without accepting the unreasonable penalties imposed by Kyoto - that's the Labor Party policy and that's why people in Gladstone and in the electorate of Hinkler, so well represented by Paul Neville, should reject the blandishments of the Labor Party on the issue of Kyoto.
JOURNALIST:
So what are the other issues that you think are facing Gladstone at the moment, given the...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think Gladstone is doing well, that's not to say you can't always do better, but there's a great sense of optimism in the resource industry. Gladstone is a huge port, there's a lot of investment, there's a lot in the pipeline and while we continue to run a competitive economy and make sensible decisions on things like Kyoto, then the city can have a very bright future.
JOURNALIST:
... that more should be done for the city, they need the... the social infrastructure should match the industry infrastructure they've got around here. What's on the Government's plan?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I've just been to Comalco. I mean, the Federal Government is providing support for that project, the State Government is providing support, the basic infrastructure is normally the responsibility of State Governments. Quite plainly, there are things that can be done there.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, in The Australian today Mick Dodson is quoted as calling on the Government to do something about the... reforming abuse of women and children in aboriginal communities. What can the Government do?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I welcome what Mick Dodson has said. It echoes some remarks made by Evelyn Scott, the former chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and a Queenslander, some years ago when she called upon indigenous leaders, particularly male indigenous leaders, to recognise that domestic violence and abuse was a massive problem in indigenous communities. I'll be very happy to talk to indigenous leaders if they wish to talk to me about these things. I sympathise with any indigenous leaders who are concerned. It is a problem and now that a growing number of indigenous leaders themselves are identifying it as a problem it will make tackling the problem that much easier. We shouldn't delude ourselves, abuse of children occurs in all sections of society, not only indigenous society but there is some evidence that the incidence there is higher, that is deeply disturbing and I welcome that indigenous leaders are now recognising that and it will make it easier. Everybody has a responsibility, bodies like ATSIC have a responsibility and it is obviously something that perhaps might command more of the ATSIC budget.
JOURNALIST:
Given the $137 million investment that the Government has made in Comalco, do you see the Government continuing to, sort of, contribute to the establishment costs of future projects like [inaudible] down the track?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well governments, certainly the government I lead, doesn't make generalised open-ended commitments. We live in a private enterprise economy and the whole idea is that people invest and take risks and they get the profit. The Government should not be in the business of running businesses. Governments that try and do that get into awful trouble. That doesn't mean to say that there aren't some investment incentives in particular circumstances that governments can provide. But as a general rule there should not be an expectation that governments will provide resources for projects that cannot be raised on the private equity market.
JOURNALIST:
That's what happened with AMC though hasn't it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there was a new technology in relation to AMC and that project has run into some trouble, we're going to continue to support a restructuring, we won't be committing any more resources to it and neither will the Queensland Government, I've discussed the matter with the Queensland Premier and our position is essentially the same.
JOURNALIST:
... company handled that situation though?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well let me say this, it's not a problem of technology.
JOURNALIST:
AMC's going to announce details of a plan to downsize the plant, do you think this is a good outcome?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's a question of whether it's the only outcome and what the alternative is, the alternative could be a lot worse.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) today and said you're close to getting resolutions to the agreement about the sugar reform package, he said there's a single issue remaining...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I wrote to the Premier about two issues and if we can get satisfaction from the Queensland Government on both of those issues then I think we are moving closer and I haven't spoken informally to Mr Beattie about it and I expect to hear from him with a proper response shortly but if there is a willingness by the Queensland Government to meet us on those two very reasonable issues that have been raised by the growers then maybe we've got ourselves a deal. But very important, we do need an acceptance of those two things.
JOURNALIST:
If I can move on ASIO powers, why did the Federal Government agree to water down those powers?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because we want the bill and the Labor Party was putting I think unreasonable opposition in the Senate to the bill and we took the view that it was better to accept some further amendments in the hope that the Labor Party might then say yes and we can get the bill through because providing greater safety for Australians is more important to me than winning a political debate with the Labor Party. And I would hope the Labor Party would bring the same approach to national security matters. National security matters should be above party politics.
JOURNALIST:
What impact will they have now that they're watered down?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the proposals we've made are sensible, they're fair, they're an attempt to get the Labor Party support, if the Labor Party doesn't support these well it would just confirm my impression that they're only interested in political point scoring, they're not interested in having decent protection for Australians in the age of terrorism.
JOURNALIST:
So the Labor Party doesn't share the same concerns?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't know, you'll have to ask them. I'm asserting, I'm giving you my judgment of their behaviour but whether they're going to accept the changes or not you'll have to ask them, I don't know, I haven't heard, they haven't told me.
JOURNALIST:
You mentioned before corresponding with Peter Beattie, do you foresee the State and Federal Governments co-operating more often in terms of trying to attract projects to Gladstone and securing projects to Gladstone.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the best thing that we can do is to have a very benign economic climate and that's what we've done over the last seven years, we have low interest rates, low inflation, sensible environmental policies, pro-investment policies, a new tax system, all of these things make it far more attractive for people to invest and that is why they are investing in this country. I'd better go and talk to my guests, see you later.
[ends]