PRIME MINISTER:
Could I start by expressing on behalf of all Australians our concern and distress and compassion for the people of many parts of the United States, particularly the people of New Orleans. The damage from Katrina has been horrific, hundreds perhaps more lives have been lost and massive damage has been done to property, and I have sent the personal message of sympathy to President Bush, and I want publicly to express on behalf of all Australians our sense of concern and our feeling for the people who have lost so much and been affected by this terrible natural disaster. Might I also on a sombre note express my sympathy to the people of Iraq for the terrible tragedy that could've claimed up to a thousand lives. This country has suffered so much from terrorism and from violence and from evil. I can only say on behalf of all Australians that we feel for and with the people of Iraq in this latest tragedy.
JOURNALIST:
Will Australia be sending money or aid to America?
PRIME MINISTER:
We are looking at ways of providing assistance, yes.
JOURNALIST:
Given the fear and intimidation in Iraq now, will Australia rethink its strategy there?
PRIME MINISTER:
We certainly won't be changing our commitment to a free and democratic Iraq. The worst thing that the world could do now would be to turn its back on Iraq. The worst thing the coalition could do now would be to give in to terrorism. I draw your attention to the remarks made by the former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, at the conference in Sydney yesterday when he said that the... those who argue for negotiation with terrorists are only encouraging the terrorists to commit more acts of terror, and I agree with him, and he's a person who's experienced the impact of terrorism at first hand.
JOURNALIST:
Do you believe the media is at fault for pushing John Brogden towards attempted suicide?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think its been a very tragic event. I'm not one of those who would jump to accuse the media.
JOURNALIST:
Are you concerned that the Liberal Party moved too soon to distance themselves from him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the right decision was taken by Mr Brogden. I spoke to Mr Brogden on the morning that he had decided to resign. I feel very sorry for him. I think the man should be left alone so he can recover. I wish him a full recovery in his health. I wish him internal peace and I want him to know and I want his wife to know that there are many members of the extended liberal family, all over Australia, who care for him. I would like to see him regain active involvement in public life-I expressed that view to him on Monday morning. It's been a very sad few days, but I don't want at this stage to line up in blaming this or that section of the media. I don't think there's anything to be gained by that.
JOURNALIST:
Would you like to see him back as a Liberal Party Leader at some stage Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look that is with great respect... the man has just resigned, the party is in the process of electing a new leader, it may in fact have done so while I've been in there speaking. And I think with great respect that is a rather unrealistic question.
JOURNALIST:
There's been rumours that some of the pressure may have come from inside the Party. Do you think the right faction is gaining too much power?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the Liberal Party is made up overwhelmingly of people of very sensible, middle of the road disposition. Some are a little left of centre, some are a little right of centre, none are extremists and this suggestion that the Liberal Party is falling into the grip of extremists is absurd. As somebody who knows the New South Wales division fairly well, it's a load on nonsense.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what do you make of Peter Costello's claim that he's been your greatest supporter?
PRIME MINISTER:
Peter and I have been a wonderful team, end of answer.
JOURNALIST:
What do you make of his refusal to rule out a challenge?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look people are entitled in life to have ambition. I want a Liberal Party full of people who have ambition because ambition for yourself leads to ambition for your country, and I don't want a Liberal Party full of people who lack ambition and lack drive. And one of the great strengths of my party at the moment, and at a federal level, and I know in many of the states, and Rene would say the same thing. But we want people in our party with ideas, with ambition, with energy and we brought into the parliament at the last election a lot of people in that category.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sorry let the lady speak.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Amanda Vanstone (inaudible) national wattle day to reignite the republican debate. How do you feel about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I like wattle day. I think it's an emblem though that belongs to all Australians, irrespective of whether they support or oppose the existing constitutional arrangements. You may remember that at the time of the Bali tragedy I encouraged Australians to wear wattle. I think it's a wonderful gesture. It is our national emblem, we should use it more, we should honour it more. But all of us, republican or otherwise should feel an equal ownership of the day.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Phil Burgess from Telstra has been complaining about the deal to provide services to the bush, saying they're unfair and likely to damage the telco. Are you disappointed about these complaints?
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a free country, he can have them, he's wrong, but he can have them, he's entitled to express his view.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Mr Phil Burgess, he's.. oh he's the man from Telstra. Yes, yes, he's entitled to have those views. Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Will you talk to Don McGauchie about the view?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I won't, why would I do that? We don't run a Stalinist regime in this country. If you want to have a view you can express it. Heavens above I don't think that expression of view is going to sort of stop communications policy in its tracks.
JOURNALIST:
Is the pressure on Telstra unfair given that the same requirements aren't...?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think pressure on Telstra's unfair at all, Telstra's in a very strong position. But we want competition. We're not running communications policy to suit Telstra, we're running communications policy to suit the people of Australia. And the best way you help the people of Australia is to have competition. And that is exactly what our rules are designed to produce. One more question then we must go.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be putting money into the Harry Murray Fund to raise money for the statue (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we have a lot of requests and we'll give that due and serious consideration.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, just on industrial relations....
PRIME MINISTER:
Ah yes, one more, I'm feeling in a very generous mood. We'll have one more question. Will it have several parts will it?
JOURNALIST:
The Tasmanian Premier is saying that he wants to protect the rights of state workers by bolstering Tasmania's industrial laws. Will Commonwealth laws be able to override those?
PRIME MINISTER:
The best way you can protect the workers of Tasmania is to run a strong economy and give them higher wages and lower unemployment and more opportunities for their children to get jobs, and that is what we have done over the last nine and half years. And all the rules under the sun will not protect people from unemployment and falling wages if the economy falls over. All the rules under the sun can't stop that and it really amazes me that people think that you can regulate prosperity. You can't pass a law saying we will have prosperity for the next 10 years. The only way you can have prosperity for the next 10 years is in fact to have the polices that produce a strong economy. And I might point out that we've just had some capital expenditure figures released in Canberra which show that there's been a 7 per cent rise in the June quarter, which is further evidence of the underlying strength of the Australian economy, and that's why we've had such low unemployment and such high real wages.
Thank you.
[ends]