Subjects: WTO ruling; ABC; Senator Trish Crossin.
E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………….
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the World Trade Organisation’s ruling in favour of our sheep farmers is very good news.
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s very good news. The first bit of international trade justice Australian farmers look like getting for a long time. There is time for appeal by the Americans and they have that right and the thing won’t be finally resolved until December. But the Government has always thought that the American position was wrong. That’s why we fought so hard in the World Trade Organisation on behalf of Australian farmers. And I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed, as are farmers all around Australia, that at long last there may be a modicum of international trade justice for them.
JOURNALIST:
Would you urge The Americans not to bother with the appeal because they don’t have a very high success rate - appeals from the World Trade Organisation.
PRIME MINISTER:
The Americans play it very hard when it comes to trade. They will appeal. If they’ve got a right to appeal they will appeal and I hope that what has been provisionally given to the Australian lamb producers is kept. It was always wrong, the imposition by the Americans. We always thought it unfair and that’s why I’m so encouraged and I congratulate the Trade Minister Mark Vaile and his department on the work that they have done on behalf of Australia’s lamb producers.
JOURNALIST:
There is the vexatious matter of compensation. Would you be……
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it’s too early for me to be talking about that. There is a process. I respect that process. And it’s in the interests of Australian lamb producers that I continue to respect that process.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the cuts to the ABC’s news and current affairs budget aren’t going down too well in the bush. Are they justified?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is a matter you should question the ABC about. We provide the ABC with a good budget and it’s up to the ABC as an independent broadcaster to decide how the money is allocated. I was not at the board meeting, I was not consulted, and I shouldn’t be. You really have to take that up with the ABC. I’m not going sit in judgement on the independent authority of the ABC.
JOURNALIST:
On the issue of Trish Crossin [inaudible], what’s your understanding of that situation and do guidelines need tightening there?
PRIME MINISTER:
I know nothing more of that incident than what has been in the press and I don’t have any comment on it.
JOURNALIST:
Not another case where guidelines need to be looked at?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don’t have any comment on it.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think it was proper use of the car?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don’t have any comment on it.
JOURNALIST:
Is there any disquiet amongst the parliamentary Liberal Party backbench about just generally guidelines…..?
PRIME MINISTER:
Nobody has raised concerns with me. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
One last question. On the trade matter, the process we appear to have had with this win, and if the appeal doesn’t succeed, that would go a long way do you think in silencing the critics about our involvement with the WTO on freeing up…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well one swallow doesn’t make a summer. But it’ll be good, it’ll be really great because Australian farmers have had a terrible time on the international trade field for a long long time and it will encourage them to believe that there is a modicum of international trade justice. Thank you.
[Ends]