JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, your response to the Treasurer's comments regarding leadership, do you believe that he leads the nation in a number of areas?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think he has shown tremendous leadership in relation to economic management, I think Alexander Downer has shown tremendous leadership in foreign affairs, I think Philip Ruddock has shown great leadership in immigration and now as Attorney General. The conspicuous thing about the Government I am privileged to lead is that it's a great team and I see all of us operating as a team, it has never been a one-man band, I have never seen it just as a John Howard Government, I've always seen it as a government with a lot of individual men and women who have displayed great leadership in their portfolio responsibilities.
JOURNALIST:
But the expression to lead implies that he guides [inaudible] do you believe that that's the case with his economic policy, does he set the agenda when it comes to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
What's your next question? That one is not going to trouble the scorers.
JOURNALIST:
Seriously Prime Minister, the expression...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no I am quite serious.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask then, moving on, can I ask your reaction to John Brogden and the news we've heard about him this morning?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well like everybody else I was very upset, quite distressed to hear the news, I want to say to Lucy the thoughts of the Liberal family are very much with her and with her husband. At a time like this they should know that they have a lot of friends. There are a lot of people, myself included, who not only want to see John fully restored to good health and be peaceful in himself, but also resuming an active public life. When I spoke to him on Monday, before he announced his resignation, I encouraged him to stay in parliament, because I do believe that politics is very much his life and it would be hard to see him finding contentment in something else. He is going through a terrible period at the present time, and I can only hope that he recovers from that and with the support of his wife and the focus I know he has on his young son, they can come through this very difficult time in their lives, that it must be terrible for them. We understand he has got to accept responsibility for his mistakes, we all make mistakes, nobody's perfect and let's not have people pretending that they are but I wish him well and I hope he recovers. To Lucy again, our thoughts are particularly with you, we wish you both well. Thank you.
[ends]