STEFANOVIC:
Joining us now to discuss the verdict is the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard live from Kirribilli House this morning, good morning to you PM. Firstly, your reaction to the verdict?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my reaction is this is a triumph for the Iraqi people. There's something heroic about a nation that is going through all of the pain and difficulty Iraq is, yet still struggles to give this monster a fair trial. That is the mark of a country that desperately wants democracy. And this is a country worth supporting. This is a transition to democracy worth supporting. I think it is a great, historic moment for the Iraqi people. The verdict is obviously being warmly welcomed by Iraqis around the world. But for a nation to have persevered with a transparent fair trial, with a man like this through all the difficulties it is passing, that to me is a nation that wants to embrace democracy and isn't that something that is worth supporting? They could easily have allowed him to be arbitrarily executed as happens in so many other countries, yet no. He could have been shot escaping custody or something like that as so often happens, but no, they were determined to have a transparent trial, they were determined to demonstrate to the world that there was a new Iraq. So through all of the difficulty, the bloodshed, the loss of life that's going on in that country, this to me, the whole process of the trial, is a sign of democratic hope and I believe the world should see it as such.
STEFANOVIC:
PM, by your tone and language, it sounds as if you are happy with the verdict, how does that sit with your views on the death penalty though?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what other countries do with the death penalty is other country's business. What we do with the death penalty in Australia is never impose it and I will always oppose the imposition of the death penalty in my own country and I will argue against the application of the death penalty on Australians in other parts of the world. But you are dealing here with a mass murderer, his own country has decided on the death penalty, the death penalty is not the real issue. The real issue is that he was tried in an open, transparent, fashion and the mark, one of the great marks of a democratic society is due process and the rule of law. And this mass murderer was given due process. Now that to me is a mark of a nation that wants democracy. It's a mark of the courage of a nation, through all of the bloodshed and turmoil that Iraq has suffered it nonetheless is prepared to embrace this transparent process, this rule of law. That is a country worth supporting, that is a new Iraq, a different Iraq.
STEFANOVIC:
PM, the issue from here on in the days and weeks, and I am sorry to interrupt you there, but the issue from here on is whether or not this verdict will put a lid on the violence or whether or not it will only inspire more and does that put our troops under greater threat in the coming days and weeks?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't believe that the verdict will have any particular impact on the safety or otherwise of Australian troops. I don't know what the general reaction will be, violence in Iraq will go on, but what is at stake here is a principle and a style of government. And what this trial has done, whether it's a life-sentence or an execution that is a matter for the Iraqi people. What it has done is to demonstrate to the world that through all the pain and difficulty and bloodshed and suffering, this country is prepared to embrace one of the foundations of a democratic state. That is the rule of law and due process, and I think it is a wonderful moment for the Iraqi people. Not only do they feel a great sense of justice, but they are showing to the world that they will embrace one of the fundamentals of democracy and that is something that is worth supporting and is one of the reasons that Australia will persevere and help the Iraqi people fully establish democracy.
STEFANOVIC:
Alright Prime Minister, to a big issue here at home and you're hosting a water summit tomorrow. Will you be looking for solutions in that or just contingencies?
PRIME MINISTER:
We'll be looking first of all to establish a completely collaborative spirit between the Federal Government and the state governments that are most directly concerned and affected by the drastic situation in the Murray-Darling Basin. We will be discussing longer term implementation of the National Water Initiative, something we agreed on three years ago. We have made some progress. The progress has not been as fast as I would like but what I want to do is to establish that collaborative approach. I think it's going to be a very difficult summer, thank heavens we had some decent rain on the Darling Downs in Queensland and in other parts of the nation and I see tomorrow's meeting as very much an effort in collaboration and planning to mitigate the worst impacts of the drought on these areas. We can't make it rain, nobody can do that, but what we can do is work very hard together to make sure that we reduce the pain of this terrible drought as much as we humanly can and in a spirit of total collaboration between the national government and the various state governments.
STEFANOVIC:
Prime Minister why would you have a water summit and not invite Queensland?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we haven't dis-invited Queensland in fact I indicated to the Queensland Premier last night that if he wanted to come he was very welcome. The reason I only invited New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia is that they are the states which are most directly affected by the drying up of the Murray-Darling Basin and this summit was triggered, in part, by the decision of New South Wales to suspend water trading on the Murray and Murrumbidgee and the parlous state of the dams in New South Wales and Victoria. So it's not a question of leaving people out, it's just that calling a meeting at short notice, I invited the Premiers of the states most directly affected but if Peter Beattie wants to come, he's always welcome and that applies to any of the other Premiers if they want to come but plainly the Murray-Darling Basin mostly directly affects New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
STEFANOVIC:
Alright, Prime Minister, a lot of issues on the plate at the moment, we can't let you go this morning without getting a Cup tip from you this morning. Anything you are looking at favourably?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I am still looking at the form. I think Tawqeet and Efficient look pretty good, but I will settle my final tips after I have looked at the form and consulted a couple of blokes in my office who are very wise and knowledgeable about these matters. And I can't let you go without congratulating you on becoming a father again.
STEFANOVIC:
Alright, thank you very much Prime Minister, we appreciate that very much and I'll pass on my best to Cassandra and I will be ringing those tipsters as well in your office.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes you do that, you've made a great contribution to the nation.
[ends]