PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen I simply want to express a number of thanks. I want first of all to express my thanks to the people of Australia for the immense privilege they have given me in electing me as Prime Minister on four occasions. To have been Prime Minister of this wonderful country for a year is an immense privilege in itself, but to have had the opportunity for more than eight years to have served as Prime Minister is the greatest privilege that could come the way of anybody. I'd like to thank my Liberal Party colleagues and my Coalition friends in the National Party for the tremendous support and loyalty that they have extended to me. One of the essential ingredients of any success that we've had as a government over the last eight and a half years has been the great unity that has been displayed. I would also like to thank Bob Hawke for his very gracious comments. Respect across the political divide in Australia has not always been plentiful, but I hope it can be said of our relationship that, despite our obvious and strongly expressed differences on a lot of issues, we each respect the contribution that the other has made to public life, and I certainly respect very much the great contribution that he made to public life as Prime Minister of Australia. And finally and most importantly I want to thank my wife, Janette. More than anybody else she has helped me, advised me, counselled me and encouraged me in the 30 years that I've been in public life. She's been there in the good times and the not so good times, and without her advice, and love and support, I would not have been able to achieve it, and the combination of Janette and my three children, who form a very strong family support base for me and source of advice, is indispensable and without them I would not have achieved what I have. It's a great honour to be Prime Minister of the country. I'll continue to serve the Australian people energetically and in a dedicated fashion. I will never take them for granted. I'm there as their servant, and I will continue to be governed by that frame of mind in the years ahead. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister are you planning anything special today?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. I plan to have a family dinner tonight, a small gathering. It's not an occasion for anything more lavish than that. It's an opportunity, in a quiet way, for us to get together but it's Christmas, and I want to take this opportunity, as I will in a more formal way, to express Merry Christmas to all Australians and their families and safe driving on the roads, so very important at holiday time, and a very happy and prosperous New Year.
JOURNALIST:
Your comments directed there to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke were very gracious. The comments you directed to the Australian people were very humble ones, but on an occasion like today do you indulge yourself, even in the most fleeting moment, to a little bit of the hubris...
PRIME MINISTER:
No. Not an occasion for that. Thank you.
[ends]