FANNING:
Mr Howard, thanks for joining us. How willing were the Muslim leaders today in Canberra to accept that there is a need to crack down on extremism in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Very willing. It was a good, positive meeting. Now we still have a long way to go and this is only one part of the response to the terrorist threat. But it was a very constructive meeting and I was very pleased with the outcome.
FANNING:
Did you shift opinions around that table because last night I asked Dr Ameer Ali whether Australia was at risk of home-grown extremism and he said "not at all, not at all".
PRIME MINISTER:
Well maybe I did, and maybe I didn't. But there is a risk, it's not as great as in other countries but there is a risk, I said that at the meeting and I didn't find any serious dissent from it. We are not as exposed as many other countries but we would be deluding ourselves if we thought there was no threat of a terrorist attack from home-grown sources in this country. Much less than other countries but still there's a danger.
FANNING:
And you got a sense of urgency, or the requisite sense of urgency from those Muslim leaders about the problem?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, they understand that they have a responsibility. They also understand that the community is nervous about people within the Islamic community and they know that they have a job working with us to try and fight it and what I found good about today was the unconditional nature of their rejection of terrorism, their unconditional commitment to the traditions and values and institutions of our country and we tackle the problem as fellow Australians working together.
FANNING:
They've agreed to try and crack down on extremism, anyone who might incite violence. Now how might they do that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they don't do the cracking down, the cracking down is done by the law enforcement authorities. But what we need is to enlist the energy and the goodwill of Islamic leaders, particularly in relation to the young of their community to persuade them, if they see the young as susceptible to extremism, down a more moderate path. Now it's tricky, it's complicated, there's no...
FANNING:
How do they that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well in a community which is a minority community within a wider nation there are obviously networks and connections and special knowledge that can be utilised and we need to build trust, we need to say to them look we're in this together if we're to make this a safer country for all of us in the future we have to work together.
FANNING:
There's talk of accrediting imams, on what grounds would you propose denying access to Australia to a visiting imam?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we will do everything we can to deny access to Australia to anybody who we know to be an extremist.
FANNING:
And how would you figure that out?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well a variety of sources, which I won't go into. As to the question of accrediting imams, that is a form of words that's come from the Islamic community, we will look at this issue. Plainly some imams from some countries are more radical and extreme and therefore less acceptable to the Australian Islamic community and to the Australian community generally than...
FANNING:
Should there be a formal process, you know, should there be you've got to get a bit of paper if you want to preach in Australia, if you want to come in and do that?
PRIME MINISTER:
There are a variety of things we can do and we are examining those things at present. Suffice to say for present purposes we are going to be very vigilant about who comes here and we'll be checking very carefully what people have said about a whole variety of issues that impinge on terrorism. But also let me emphasise in fairness that the overwhelming majority of Australians of an Islamic background are as worried about terrorism and find it as repugnant as you and I do.
FANNING:
You farewell the Australian troops to Afghanistan tomorrow, does Australia's involvement in that forum and in Iraq make this whole process of bridge building with the Muslim community in Australia that much harder?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my answer to that Ellen is that it is right for us to be in Afghanistan and Iraq, that's my starting point. And once you make your foreign policy a pawn to be traded in any kind of discussion or negotiation you have surrendered control over that foreign policy. So I don't entertain the idea of backtracking in relation to our foreign policy in the context of discussions about this or that issue with the Islamic community.
FANNING:
Not up for discussion?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well certainly no way are we going to trade or compromise or bargain or parlay in relation to either of those things in the context of our discussions with any section of the Australian community.
FANNING:
There seems to be some disagreement between your economics ministers about what would happen if Telstra is not sold, would you support this idea of parking unsold Telstra funds, Telstra shares in the Future Fund?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I deal in reality and the reality is that we're trying to sell it. I think we probably will get parliamentary approval...
FANNING:
You think you will?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think there's a good reason to believe it, but let's wait and see. I'm not going to give a running commentary on how people may or may not vote. I regard the current situation in the Senate as a huge bonus on...
FANNING:
Even with...
PRIME MINISTER:
I regard the present situation in the Senate as beyond the wildest dreams I had a year ago.
FANNING:
A couple of Australians have been picked up on drugs charges again in Indonesia and in Bali, the message doesn't seem to be getting through.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well if the allegations are, if they're true, it passes beyond belief that any Australian could be so stupid as to carry drugs in to any country in Asia. I mean the laws in these countries are black and white, they're severe, they're ferociously precise, that's been the case for decades, we have told Australians, young Australians, again and again don't take drugs out of this country, don't take them into Asian countries because you can't expect any mercy. Now we will keep pushing that message but people have to understand that if they defy that and they get caught with drugs they can't expect the Government to bail them out, they're in another country. I mean if foreigners come to this country and break our laws our people don't think we should hand them back to the countries from whence they came. They think they should be punished in this country and jailed in this country and Australians have got to understand that and I'm just amazed that people would even contemplate after all the publicly that's been given to some quite prominent cases in recent months that people would do this.
FANNING:
A cricket question.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
FANNING:
Jason Gillespie, who should replace him? The young up and comer or stick with Kasper?
PRIME MINISTER:
I love cricket, I have a very strong view about all these things but in fairness to the selectors who have a very difficult job I won't offer it. Can I simply say it's a wonderful series and good luck to the Australian team at Trent Bridge but isn't cricket a real winner? It has just been such a wonderful series.
FANNING:
Glad you enjoyed it. Mr Howard, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]