JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, is the Government being punished in the Werriwa by-election for rising interest rates?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. The Labor Party was always going to win Werriwa, it's a very safe Labor seat but it was a below average performance for an Opposition in a by-election. If you look at the swings to an Opposition in a by-election their primary vote since 1949, the average is about six and a half and this time it went up by 2.85. So, whilst I congratulate the Labor candidate it was a below average performance for an Opposition in a by-election.
JOURNALIST:
You don't see that there is a protest vote there re rising interest rates at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look it don't take anything complacently but you can't read anything particularly into the result given that by-elections always go against incumbent governments, they always favor Oppositions and as I said the average is much higher than the improvement in the Labor primary vote, so I don't think we should read to much into it.
JOURNALIST:
The Liberal Party was right not to stand do you think in that by-election?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. Anything else.
JOURNALIST:
There are reports the Government is considering a new category of visa for long term illegal immigrants, is that true?
PRIME MINISTER:
We always keep our policy in this area under review. We're not going to make any major changes to the policy, we're going to obviously retain mandatory detention and offshore processing because they have been the cornerstones of the very successful policy but we always keep aspects of the operation of that policy under review.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you conceded some anomalies of Senator Lightfoot's explanation but yet you don't support a independent inquiry?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't.
JOURNALIST:
Why not?
PRIME MINISTER:
For the reasons I've already explained.
JOURNALIST:
And what are they? Why would you agree to anomalies in his story but you wouldn't agree to an inquiry?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because I believe his response to the allegations are credible.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister it's the second anniversary today of the beginning of the Iraq war, are you happy with the progress?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I am very pleased indeed at the way in which the Iraqi people have bravely and courageously embraced democracy, I mentioned that earlier this afternoon. There's been nothing more inspiring for democracy in the last year than the sight of those brave Iraqi men and women holding their finger stained, tips of their finger stained fingers for all the world to see their exercise in democracy. I think it was wonderful, it's hard, it's difficult, there is still a lot of murder going on, there's a lot of terrorist behavior but eventually I believe Iraq will emerge as a viable democracy and I'm very proud of the fact that Australia has played a part in bringing that about.
JOURNALIST:
There's been rallies all over the world today in Sydney about 4,000 people, does this make any impact on the decision....?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no it doesn't. The rallies recognised the fact that not everybody agreed with our position but I remain steadfastly of the view that it was the right decision and I believe in the long run the Middle East will be a more democratic, a more stable place and people will be given the opportunity to live their lives in freedom and I don't believe that would have happened if the coalition had not taken the action that it did. Thank you.
[ends]