JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, Ian Thorpe's pulled out of the Commonwealth Games, that's a fairly sad moment for Australia.
PRIME MINISTER
Oh look, I am, like all Australians very, very sorry that Ian can't compete in the Games. I understand why and I think everybody should understand why. He's obviously not been well and he's quite rightly decided that he won't be fit enough to do his best and we all understand that. I don't think we should imagine though for a moment there won't be plenty of people amongst our swimmers who will perform magnificently and nobody should think that this means that there will be a reduced capacity for Australia to perform extremely well. He's a great loss, but there are some great swimmers who will come up to the mark and do extremely well. But I wish him well. I know all Australians will and I'm sure he will be back to full strength before very long.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Dr Nelson announced that the Australian soldiers in the Al Muthanna Province are going to stay until the middle of next year. Isn't that longer than was entertained earlier by the service chiefs?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, what we said was that they would stay longer. If you go back and look at what I have said, I was very careful last year when I announced the Al Muthanna deployment not to rule out some extension or some additional commitment, and I said a few weeks ago that it was very likely that our troops would stay after May if, as is possible, the Japanese group leaves in May and what Brendan Nelson was doing was simply confirming the same likelihood. We actually haven't made a final decision, but I said a little while ago and Dr Nelson has confirmed it that it's very likely that we will have a presence after May and as to how long it will be, I'm not going to put a time on it. And it could well go into the next year.
JOURNALIST:
Because Labor's saying that it's an open-ended sort of mission now without really a defined aim for it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there is a defined aim. I mean can anybody predict when any particular military conflict or military requirement is going to finish? I mean this absurd idea from the Labor Party that we can nominate a day and a month and a year when precisely our forces are not going to be needed any longer is quite ridiculous. What we have said, and I repeat it, and the Labor Party knows what we're saying and the Australian people know what we're saying is that our forces will come out when their job has been completed. That day is getting closer, but I can't say when it is and I am not going to make myself a hostage to a particular time or a particular date.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you had talks with Prime Minister Singh last night. He's reported this morning as having spoken to his Parliament on the issue of Iran and sanctions and not supporting them. What discussions did you have with him about Iran and what's your attitude to any (inaudible) interventional sanctions regimes?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think what should happen with Iran is that the matter should be referred to the United Nations. Now this is an opportunity for the United Nations to do its job. People have been critical of countries, including Australia, for not having again and again used the processes of the United Nations. Now this is a big test for the United Nations. The three countries, the three European countries and the United States want this matter referred to the United Nations, so does the IAEA so let us step back and allow the United Nations to do its job and we can then perhaps test the capacity of this organisation to deal with a very, very difficult situation. You asked me what discussions I had with the Prime Minister, we talked about the matter generally and we both agreed that Iran represented a particular problem. As to the question of sanctions, well that's a step ahead. Let's see what the United Nations decides.
JOURNALIST:
Does Prime Minister Singh agree with you about going to the United Nations?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, would you like to take this opportunity to congratulate or otherwise comment on Simon Crean pulling his political career out of the fire in the preselection contest?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Greg, I congratulate Mr Crean on winning, apparently against the odds. Australians always admire that, but I don't want to say anything further. It really is a matter for the Labor Party.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, the Times of India today has reported that Indian Government officials have briefed you in some detail now on the US-India nuclear power agreement. Did that briefing take place and if so can you tell us how do you now view the importance of the agreement particularly from an Australian perspective?
PRIME MINISTER:
The answer is no, I haven't been briefed by any Indian Government officials or indeed any officials. I think what has probably happened is that in response to the agreement between Mr Singh and myself last night there has been some contact between Australian and Indian officials and the Indian officials may have offered a view to the Australian officials but from what I've heard it's not a detailed briefing. Look they will meet and they will talk but I've explained our position, and our position is that the current policy is there. We will get more information and we will digest that information.
JOURNALIST
Mr Howard, given Australia's closeness as an ally to the United States and as a uranium producing country, why didn't you have more details of this deal either beforehand or immediately after it was struck?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't expect to know the information in advance of arrangements that other countries enter into. It has no effect on Australia. This was agreement between India and the United States. I don't tell Washington in advance of an agreement that I'm making with another country. The only circumstance in which you would do that would be if it had some particular implication for the relationship. There are what, 30 or 40 countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group of which Australia is one and I don't find the fact that America dealt with India on a matter affecting America and India in any way strange.
JOURNALIST:
But subsequent to that, you were coming here immediately after him. That doesn't put you in an unusual position.
PRIME MINISTER:
It hasn't put me in any unusual position at all.
JOURNALIST:
What sort of changes do you think that agreement has in terms of world strategic issues?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Louise, the most important aspect of the agreement is the positive one and that is that it will bring India's civilian nuclear capacities under international inspections. Now that is a very good thing and it's a very positive move. In a broader context what does it mean? It's an agreement between the United States and India and that only has to be stated for the importance of that to be understood. Clearly India is a rising world power and clearly India is going to bulk ever larger, not only in the affairs of this region but in the affairs of the world and an agreement between the United States, the most powerful country in the world and India, the most populous democracy in the world, obviously of itself is important.
JOURNALIST:
On the Kyoto Protocol, you always say that it's not about signing up to the document, it's about what you actually achieve along the way. Why isn't that the case with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty then as India said yesterday, as Mr Singh said yesterday they're already meeting the safeguards, why is it that they can't...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what I mean when I say that in relation to Kyoto is in relation to the outcomes and the outcomes in relation to Kyoto are that we meet the targets and the point I'm making is that the most significant thing arising out of Kyoto are the targets. And even though we're not a signatory to Kyoto and therefore we haven't assumed the disabling consequences for Australia of signing Kyoto, we are meeting the greenhouse gas emission targets and that's the point I'm making.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, the Nuclear Suppliers Group was established in 1974 or just after in response to India...
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I know that.
JOURNALIST:
I mean so now India expects precisely the Nuclear Suppliers Group to come on its side. Is it an indication that time are changing in the world nuclear landscape isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Was that commentary or a question?
JOURNALIST:
No, no, it's a question. Is it an indication that the times are changing.
PRIME MINISTER:
The times are always changing, to slightly paraphrase a famous singer, they are always a changing.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the world's nuclear landscape is changing?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think what's happening between America and India is very significant for the reason that I outlined, because it brings India's domestic, civilian, nuclear facilities under international inspections and that is a very, very good thing.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard were you at all surprised that the United States agreed, apparently in a clause in the contract, to lobby its allies to bring support for India brought into, if you like, the nuclear fold. Now we haven't seen the wording...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven't seen the wording either.
JOURNALIST:
But you heard the Prime Minister's comments last night at the press conference. Does that surprise you?
PRIME MINISTER:
No nothing surprises me Tim. Of course it doesn't surprise me.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty needs to be updated?
PRIME MINISTER:
Louise, I think I said a couple of days ago that I am not going to make different policy and change policy at a news conference. Our position in relation to the NPT I have stated. I stated it yesterday and I am not going to sort of restate that otherwise there may be on your part, however innocently and unintentionally a misunderstanding.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, you said in your speech at lunchtime that the Government would be debt free by...
PRIME MINISTER:
Net debt - the end of this financial year, yes.
JOURNALIST:
Is that a recent briefing that you've had or is that based on a forecast?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I think we've said that before but you haven't reported it.
JOURNALIST:
Well I have now.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well you should, front page.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, are you considering any tax breaks for Bollywood films in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
You're taking unfair advantage of me.
JOURNALIST:
When do you think uranium exports to China will start? How long do you think that safeguards are going to take to negotiate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's still being negotiated Michelle. I am not going to presume as to the outcome of that. We'll just wait and see. It hasn't been concluded.
JOURNALIST:
And is this safeguard about the NPT actually in legislation or was that just Government policy at the time?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'll have to check that but my recollection is that there is legislation enshrining the safeguards that came out of the Ranger Inquiry presided over by Mr Justice Fox and established by the Fraser Government and that is in legislation. But separately from that there are provisions in the NPT, but I think the safeguards are enshrined in stand-alone legislation.
JOURNALIST:
Of which that would be one?
PRIME MINISTER:
What?
JOURNALIST:
That countries have to sign...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'd have to check the precise legislation.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, we had Steve Waugh out there. Has anyone chewed your ear about Greg Chappell while you've been here?
PRIME MINISTER:
People have talked about him and have admired his plain-speaking style, Indians have admired his plain speaking style.
Thank you.
[ends]