PRIME MINISTER:
I've called this news conference to emphasise the significance of the Access Economics report on the Labor Party's industrial relations policy. This report carried out by a firm that the Labor Party itself has used to cost its tax and economic policies draws attention to the devastating economic consequences to this country if our labour market were re-regulated. And re-regulation of the labour market is Labor policy, it's there in black and white in their conference platform. The abolition of workplace agreements, the scrapping of the secondary boycott laws, greater powers of entry for unions, all of those things that would turn back the clock and one of the reasons our economy is strong is that is our productivity is high and that is because we've changed our labour practices and if we change them back again we'll do enormous damage to Australia's economy and it's a very significant document because it comes from a respected economic body, independent of the Government which has actually done work for the Labor Party, so the Labor Party can't say they're government stooges because Access has done work for the Labor Party in the past and for all I know is still doing work for the Labor Party on its long awaited tax policy.
JOURNALIST:
Does this report suggest that if the ALP came into power jobs would be lost?
PRIME MINISTER:
This report suggests that thousands of jobs would be lost if Labor came into office, this report fingers the bad economic consequences and just imagine if you had nine Labor governments across Australia, there would be no let or hindrance to the re-regulation of the labour market and this has been one of the significant achievements of the last eight and a half years, the freeing of the labour market, it's one of the reasons why unemployment is low, it's one of the reasons why our economy is strong, it's one of the reasons why we are doing better than most countries in the world, and the last thing we want is to go back to the bad old days of a regulated labour market and that is what would happen under Mr Latham.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, there's a poll in the Courier Mail today suggesting that Labor's struggling in some marginal seats, to what degree does that factor into your thinking about an election?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not going to get into that sort of commentary, there a lot of polls, I read them all but I don't comment on them all.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, just a couple of questions, your reaction to the cycling charges being dropped?
PRIME MINISTER:
I've only just heard the news, it is a matter really for the relevant sporting bodies, obviously I want proper investigation of these things but I'm always pleased when there are good outcomes.
JOURNALIST:
Can I just ask you, is it poor diplomatic form to involve a visiting dignitary in an election campaign?
PRIME MINISTER:
If you've got a specific question to ask me please do so.
JOURNALIST:
In regard to the Thai Prime Minister, would it be possible for you to sign that free trade deal if you were in caretaker mode or does that basically mean you can't call an election this weekend?
PRIME MINISTER:
What's your question?
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, I was just going to say in view of the cycling charges being dropped, we understand the dinner you're attending, the Olympic dinner, Shane Kelly was invited to speak but that's been withdrawn?
PRIME MINISTER:
Although it's called the Prime Minister's dinner I don't organise it, it's organised by the Olympic Committee and the people who raise money, I'm always very happy to support it and I'm looking forward to going to it. But if you want to know about the arrangements for the dinner you should talk to John Coates and all those other people who run these things, I'm just the Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST:
Travel warnings for Bali, should travellers be taking these seriously at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
What travel warning you talking about?
JOURNALIST:
There's an upgraded travel warning on the DFAT website in relation to a number of arrests that happened in central Java...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's always wise for people to take notice of travel warnings and DFAT does a very good job of updating them when necessary. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be making a call tomorrow to the Governor General's office?
PRIME MINISTER:
What's your question?
JOURNALIST:
Just a little personal thing I was going to ask for you, that was all, when we were all finished here, that was all.
JOURNALIST:
I have one more question please, just about the $600 family overpayments, isn't it financially irresponsible not to try and recover the money?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the way we're handling it is a fair balance between financial responsibility and common sense, we're encouraging people to pay it back, we obviously recognise that some families may, in good faith, have spent it and we don't want to put them under any unfair strain. It's a very small number of cases when you're dealing with two million or more families and I think we've struck the right balance. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Can I just ask one quick question Prime Minister, given tomorrow morning's Sunday programme, you've probably seen excerpts of it...
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think that there's a line to be drawn between personal lives and what's happening in public?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't have any comment to make on that programme, I really don't, full stop.
[ends]