JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, a nerve-racking last few minutes?
PRIME MINISTER:
Fantastic. As I said my faith in penalty shoot outs is restored. But congratulations to the team, to Mark Viduka, to Frank Lowy, John O'Neill, everybody associated with this tremendous resurgence of soccer in Australia and I wish them well for the World Cup. But it's a great achievement, particularly being only one-nil ahead at the end of the ordinary time and at the end of the extended time, extra time, and penalty shoot outs always seem a very cruel way of deciding a match but on this occasion I've changed my mind.
JOURNALIST:
So PM, should bosses show a little bit of leniency tomorrow to people who turn up a little bit late?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Can you see yourself attending the World Cup in Germany?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it'd be a terrific spectacle, as will be the Rugby World Cup in France.
JOURNALIST:
What about this spectacle Prime Minister - APEC - what are your expectations of this meeting?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the biggest thing that APEC has to do is to send a very, very clear signal to the trading nations of the world that the Doha round must not be allowed to fail. There's a lot at stake with Doha. The Americans have made a very significant and quite generous offer on agriculture. There should be reciprocity from the Europeans and others. It's important for the future of developing countries, the least developed countries, that trade barriers in agriculture be broken down. Obviously we have a self interest as well. But separate and apart from that there's an enormous lot at stake for the poorest countries in the world. Trade is better than aid and we should all, as APEC economic leaders, send a very clear signal on that issue.
JOURNALIST:
Even here though in Korea there were quite violent demonstrations in Seoul this morning, batons used as rice farmers protested concern that trade liberalisation would threaten their livelihoods. It's not an easy issue.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, none of these things are easy, but Korea is probably the most dramatic example you can find in the last 30 years of a nation that has developed enormously as a result of globalisation. Korea's economy in the 1950s was weaker than Nigeria's. And it's been an outstanding example of what happens when you trade and you open up large parts of your economy, and you take advantage of globalisation
JOURNALIST:
Will Japan be under enormous pressure here given that it's one of the countries that hasn't come to the table on Doha.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the Japanese protection in agriculture is very high, yes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, which leaders are you hoping to have bilateral meetings with at this meeting?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I'll be talking to, tomorrow, I'll be talking with the Prime Minister of Singapore, I'll be talking to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, I'll be talking to a number of the other leaders. In the nature of these things the arrangements float around a bit. You end up seeing them all though.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, your meeting, your foreshadowed meeting with Prime Minister Lee, was that sought by you and, may I ask, was .that for the purpose of raising with him the case of Van Nguyen?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think in fact it was sought by him, but I will raise that issue.
JOURNALIST:
And what new will you have to say to him on that topic?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I will again put the case for clemency, as I have in the past. We think there are special circumstances in this case. We don't approve of the death penalty in any case, but we think there are very special circumstances in this case. I will repeat those special circumstances. I'd be less than honest to the Australian people if I pretended that I thought there was a big prospect of the government changing its mind, I don't believe there is. But I will continue to try, while ever I have the opportunity to do so.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, do you have any reaction to further arrests in Indonesia associated with the investigation into the Bali October 1 bombings?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well except to again compliment the work of the Indonesian authorities.
Thank you.
[ends]