PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen, as I think you are aware, I'll be going to London late this afternoon to take part in the dedication of the Australian War Memorial, which has been constructed at Hyde Park Corner in London and the dedication ceremony, which will be attended by the Queen and the British Prime Minister and also by the Leader of the Australian Opposition, Mr Downer the Foreign Minister, the Veterans' Affairs Minister Dana Vale and their opposite numbers in the Opposition. The dedication will take place on Remembrance Day at 11am, which will mark the 85th anniversary of the end of World War I in November of 1918.
It is a very important symbolic occasion. It will commemorate those hundreds of thousands of Australians who fought in both world wars alongside their British allies and the great bulk of the 102,000 Australians who've died in combat. The visit will also be an opportunity for both Mr Blair and myself to participate in the inaugural British/Australia leadership dialogue. This body has been formed along the lines of the US/Australia leadership dialogue, which was put together more than ten years ago and has proved very successful in bringing in to regular contact political leaders, media figures, commentators and business leaders of the two countries involved.
It's very important in the wake of the visits to Australia of President Bush and President Hu Jintao, which of course remind us of our very close association with the United States and also our very close association with Asia, respectively. It's important to emphasise the other associations, particularly with Great Britain, that Australia has. They are contemporary relationships, relationships that are built on, not only history and sentiment but they're also built very much on shared values, shared institutions, a shared commitment to democratic practices. And, of course, a very lively, contemporary, economic association. The United Kingdom, despite the existence of the European Union, is a very important source of foreign investment in Australia. Australia is a very heavy foreign investor in Britain. Britain is one of the major destinations of Australian exports in areas such as wine. In fact, Great Britain along now, I think, with the United States are the two largest foreign destinations of Australian wine. And, of course, the other links that this country has with Britain are very evident.
So it's an important opportunity to renew the emphasis of that relationship when I'm there, as well as my participation in the dedication of the memorial and also the leadership dialogue. I'll have separate bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister Mr Blair, the Foreign Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Don McKinnon, and also I expect the new leader of the British Opposition Mr Michael Howard. Are there any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Will the memorial become a place of pilgrimage for Australians, do you think?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it will certainly become the focal point of Anzac Day commemorations. It think it will be frequently visited and to that extent it will become a place of pilgrimage. It will not, of course, take the place of the visits that in growing numbers young Australians are undertaking to Gallipoli. And also I expect in greater numbers in the years ahead to the battlefields in France and Belgium where the battles of the western front took place.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, do you concede your remarks on the Pauline Hanson sentence were, as Justice McMurdo said, inappropriate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Can I say in relation to Her Honour's remarks that none of my remarks were in any way calculated to influence the judicial process. I don't believe for a moment they did. I was careful in the remarks I made not to criticise the verdict. I expressed a view about the sentence. I think it's fair to say that political figures in different levels and in different circumstances have expressed views for a long time about the appropriateness of sentences and given the public comment that the decision called forth, it was a little unreasonable that I not be asked for a view and a little unreasonable that I not be expected to express a view. But can I say, in relation to Her Honour's comments that they weren't, my comments were not any way calculated to influence the outcome. I don't believe for a moment they did. I retain enormous respect for the judicial process in this country.
JOURNALIST:
Do you support calls for an ex-gratia payment or compensation?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't have anything further to say about the actual verdict of the appeal courts, it's been handed down. But look, it is part of the functioning of our judicial system that appeal courts overturn decisions. There's nothing unusual about that. It is the process working, that's why you have an Appeal Court. If you had only one level you wouldn't have an Appeal Court and the idea that because a decision has been overturned that automatically that must call forth this or that, that doesn't automatically follow. But I'm not going to get into a commentary on the details of the case beyond what I said last night.
JOURNALIST:
Will Pauline Hanson be a formidable force if she re-enters politics?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, the question of whether anybody is a force in Australian politics is something to be determined by the Australian people.
JOURNALIST:
Is she a threat to your conservative vote?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Australian people will decide who gets their support, I always respect that fact and I always respect the Australian people.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think there was political pressure... did the reason why the case went to court in the very first place...
PRIME MINISTER:
I think any suggestion that this prosecution was carried out otherwise than in a completely independent fashion by the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions is wrong. To my knowledge there was absolutely no political involvement. There was certainly no political involvement at a federal level and I do not believe for a moment that there was any political involvement by the Queensland Government. It was carried out independently. We have a independent system here and the process has worked, I think everybody has to take a step back and just recognise that somebody was charged, they were convicted, they were sent to jail, there was an appeal and the Appeal Court overturned the original decision and freed the people. Now, that happens on a regular basis in Australia. It happens on a regular basis in every country that boasts the operation of the rule of law. There is nothing unusual about an appeal court overturning a first instance decision, nothing at all.
JOURNALIST:
What do the revelations about Melanie Brown's defence role have for Australia's...
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I don't have any comment on that matter beyond saying that we have no information suggesting other than that the person in question, the people in question didn't enter into a marriage for the reason that a lot of people enter into marriage.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the French Consulate has confirmed that it did in fact reissue Mr Brigitte with a passport back in May and Australian authorities weren't alerted until September. Are you concerned about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I am told that the reason why we weren't was because the French intelligence agencies did not know that the consulate had issued the passport.
JOURNALIST:
So is there a serious communication breakdown between different French departments?
PRIME MINISTER:
That is perhaps a question that you might address to Monsieur Chirac. I do not control the agencies of the French Government.
JOURNALIST:
But if it means that there are terrorists...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, hang on. Hang on. I'm not going to comment on matters relating to the internal workings of other Governments. I have my work cut out keeping up with the internal workings of all of the agencies under my control. I'm not going to try and get involved with the internal workings of others.
JOURNALIST:
Did Mr Ruddock mislead Parliament this week when he said that the French authorities told him when they were aware. I mean he had information (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not aware of any substance for any allegation that Mr Ruddock misled parliament.
JOURNALIST:
I understand the Defence Capability Review is being released this afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, that's right.
JOURNALIST:
Are you confident in our Defence capabilities?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am very confident in our defence capability, but as to the detail of it I'll leave that to Senator Hill and General Cosgrove. Bye.
[ends]