JOURNALIST:
What do you plan to achieve in the Pacific Forum this weekend?
PRIME MINISTER:
To maintain the momentum of the new spirit in the Pacific. Everybody is now taking the Pacific Island Forum far more seriously because they've seen what has been achieved in the Solomon Islands and that is if Pacific countries work together in a co-operative way then they can achieve a lot. There's a new spirit in the Pacific and I'm very pleased that Australia is playing its part.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the presence of an Australian to head the forum has made a difference?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh he's there on his own merits, I don't claim he's made a difference because he's an Australian, it's because he's a very able man and it's a post that should always be open to the best person. There was a bit of a view in the past that it could never be occupied by an Australian, I never accepted that, and I was therefore very pleased when he was elected and he's doing a very good job.
JOURNALIST:
There have been many problems with governance and with financial management and some controversy over how to handle that, do you expect concrete measures to come out of this meeting on that front?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it'll be very much a continuation of the momentum that we gathered at the last meeting. The last meeting was really a great meeting and we adopted a new charter you might say for the Pacific and there's a recognition that small countries have got to pool their resources, there's also a recognition that good governance is crucial to attracting investment, that's a view that Australia has pushed, and there's also an understanding that we do tie governance to aid and that that is reasonable because the Australian taxpayer is entitled to a good return for their investment.
JOURNALIST:
PM, how disappointed are you that debate on the FTA has gone into another parliamentary week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it is regrettable, but what we should keep in mind is that the Free Trade Agreement has not harmed the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we wouldn't have signed the Agreement if it had have, so therefore any suggestion that it has is just not right. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is rock solid, dead centre in our health policy and we haven't done anything to compromise the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. As far as Mr Latham is concerned, it does seem to me that he has shifted his position, he's now talking about a different kind of amendment that he was on Tuesday and I think the next step in this matter is for him to produce that amendment so we can have a look at it.
JOURNALIST:
Given that we haven't yet seen that amendment, can you tell us in general terms are you in favour of the idea of penalising drug companies if they make spurious claims to stop cheaper drug manufacturers from getting a cheap drug onto the market?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well our position on the merits is that there is no need for any further amendment, if there had have been we would have proposed it. However if the Labor Party has an amendment that is not damaging to the patent law of this country, and that would not be desirable, well let it bring it forward and let us have a look at it. I think the point should be made that securing the Free Trade Agreement for Australia is far more important than any temporary political advantage that I might gain or Mr Latham might gain. The national interest requires of us both that we deliver this Free Trade Agreement and political advantage for either side, certainly in the short term, is quite secondary to the national interest that is involved in delivering the Free Trade Agreement.
Thank you.
[ends]