JOURNALIST:
Mr Brogden has resigned, what are your thoughts on that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Mr Brogden rang me earlier today and indicated that he'd come to the conclusion that in all of the circumstances he should resign. I indicated to him that I agreed with that decision. He has decided to stay on in parliament. There isn't really anything more I can add. We had a brief discussion, he has resigned, he has done, in the words that he used to me, the honourable thing by resigning. It is now for the State parliamentary party to choose a new leader.
JOURNALIST:
Why did you agree with him?
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
Why did you agree with him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because I thought his decision was correct.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sorry I can't hear very well here.
JOURNALIST:
...the statements that have been attributed to him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I was questioned about this this morning on Channel Nine and I don't have anything at all to add to what I said then. The man has resigned.
JOURNALIST:
It was a bit of a fall from grace though?
PRIME MINISTER:
He has resigned. I don't have anything further to say, I'm not going to stand here and give a commentary on his resignation. Obviously he has gone and the Party has to find a new leader and nothing is served by my giving a commentary on it and I don't intend to.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, on the question of the Arabic community particularly the Muslim community, it's been clearly an escalation of racism [inaudible] an explanation there - there appears that it might escalate further into racial hatred, there has been expression from children at schools that they have been subjected to stereotyping and what's been described as Muslim bashing. What action is the Government looking at in order to try and address this problem?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it's important that everybody respect everybody else in the Australian community. The Government always promotes tolerance. We also promote a common embrace of Australian values and the remarks I made earlier today indicate that we should focus on those things that bind us together. There's also a particular responsibility on leaders of the Islamic community to understand that when acts of terrorism are committed, however wrongly and obscenely in the name of Islam, that there is an anxiety in other sections of the community and we all have to work together in a spirit of goodwill to tackle the problem and I'm sure that we can.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, how do you feel about Bronwyn Bishop's comments yesterday (inaudible) her comments suggesting that the Muslim girls shouldn't be wearing scarves [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I've thought about that and I don't think it's practical to bring in such a prohibition. If you ban a headscarf you might, for consistency's sake, have to ban a yarmulke or a turban. And it does become rather difficult and rather impractical. I don't really think that is the main issue, I think we run the danger of getting diverted on to something else if we start focusing on things like that. I can understand why people might be affronted by a full coverage including the face, I don't think that is desirable. But the headscarf is a practice of many Islamic women and I don't therefore regard it as a practical thing or even a desirable thing.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) your comments today were about us concentrating on what you want to do to unite [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look just because I may not necessarily agree with them doesn't mean to say that somebody hasn't got a right to express a view. I did say at the beginning of my remarks about Australian values that we did embrace the ancient right of freedom of speech and I think we should have a bit of tolerance of that as well.
JOURNALIST:
Just on tax cuts, would you like to see tax cuts happen before the next election and is there currently a difference in view between yourself and the Treasurer?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, there's no difference between Peter Costello and myself, none whatsoever. We're both in favour of lower tax, we both gave priority in the Budget to lifting the threshold and we're both responsible for the fact that next year only three per cent of Australian taxpayers will be on the top marginal rate. As to what happens in the future we'll have to let the future unfold, I'm not going to predict that. We have a lot of priorities, taxation improvements are one of those priorities but we have many others as well. One more question.
JOURNALIST:
How about cricket?
PRIME MINISTER:
How about cricket? Well, it was a fantastic finish. I can offer this glimmer of comfort that our victory in the First Test was more emphatic than England's victory in the Second Test or the Fourth Test. So that bodes well for the match at the Oval. But I thought Lee's ball that bowled Flintoff was a corker, it was a wonderful ball and I think the other comment I'd make about the Australian team is that Shane Warne has proved himself to be a superb Australian cricketer in this series, he's had a wonderful series and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
JOURNALIST:
Just on the spirit of cooperation, I know you say it is impractical (inaudible) Opposition, but what do you think (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well somebody is entitled to express a view. I don't think, well I don't support it, let me make that clear, it's not only impractical, I don't support it. But somebody has got a right to express that view and we live in a free country, I mean you can't on the one hand say that somebody has got freedom of speech, I mean she's entitled to have that view but I don't agree with her. I think it's a habit that many Islamic women embrace, not all of them do and whilst I think the more extreme forms of different dress including covering the face, I think that is something that most Australians would not find acceptable or find difficult to live with, I think a headscarf is something in a different category.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what's your response to the research update commissioned by the Unions New South Wales saying that wages have not risen by 14 per cent?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's wrong, that's my reaction to it and the best evidence of what I've been saying is correct is the reliance that was placed by the ACTU on real wage increases when it made its national wage case submission earlier this year. And I might also point out that in the time that we have been in office the Federal minimum wage, the Federal minimum wage has risen by 12 per cent in real terms. That's the minimum wage. So that rather debunks the theory that the low paid have stagnated which is the basis of Unions NSW claims.
Thank you.
[ends]