PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

Hawke, Robert

Period of Service: 11/03/1983 - 20/12/1991
Release Date:
14/10/1985
Release Type:
Press Conference
Transcript ID:
6762
Document:
00006762.pdf 3 Page(s)
Released by:
  • Hawke, Robert James Lee
TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE, CABLE BEACH HOTEL, NASSAU, 14 OCTOBER 1985

Z. O. E. -PROOF ONLY
TRANSCRIPT 0V' PRE~ SS COMMEflNCE CJABLE BEACH HOTEL, NAV
JOURNALIST Goner al? What camxe out of your mQting with the S
PM: Well, we had a ve~ ry usoful discussion about how h õ sai
the structure of tho maeting. And it is quito cloar hatt Ii
the iscuo of Southorn Af rica will be the most inmportzn4 it(
at thia M4octing. 1 we wnt over the tixnetabling of that4
I don't think~ it ia a mattor which will be rooolvodL atithel! 3;
boginning of the motingt although it will come up, : 1 oul.
think, on tho first day. It is an ionue which will re uirLc
I think, an amount of discuosion at tho retreat ovor low.
JOURNALIMT Dlid he exproan concern that Brita'in might no~
willing to co-operato in sianctions againot South Agric9
P14: Obv~ ouily the pocition of Britain waz one of the mati~'!
discuned by us, but we havo ccw= ion ground that tho id alj I.
position irs one where out of diocuosion Britain wilcnt
merit of having a unitod Comionwoalth view, which will lnv
increcood proasurc in a number of ways upon South 2Afri-a t.
try and achieve a porjition leading tow~ rdc tho dicamant ingjI
apartheid in South Africa and a timataible undar which out:
Agrica can mova to the emergconce oZ free anc2 liboral 00c:
Now, no-ono, including npyelf, aa I made clear fromi thci I
beginning, haa co~ o to thin conforence with a viaw to ryi:
to ioolato or attch Britain. flath~ r# what we vrant tc Co
by the force and pom~ or of argument to achieve a situat~ on 2
we can, got a -c on pooition.[ 4
JOUMlIALIST: bid you onlin Astralia'o idoa of a conittr
Ani, iU co, what wiao M4r Romphal'g rosponso?
PtI oitlineA that thait wan part o2 an overall Auctr4,1ia!
approcch end tho Scrotay-Gonaral indicatod thfct ho ' oue
thñ iz wao a vary ap-opriato part of an avo~ zll mochcni'mM
you likG, to doal with thia Zund& amntal icue.
. MMI-M
14=( W9W 0,

JOURNALISTz Prime Minister# is winning Kra Thatcher over KI
now the main aim of this meeting?
PM: Well, let me say thine that in the past the Commo~ wcal.
has actad on the bamin of consennus and it is infinitew [ I
preferabla that that be achieved on this occasion. And I r:
hopeful that it ca~ n be done. , ii
JOURNALIST: Do you think you can persuade Mrs Thatch r?
PM: I don't want to over-rate or over-atate my own ro3e.
Clearly Australiao through mnyself, io going to have an
iMpOrtant rol. e in this debate enid the omerqenoo of the
Conutonwaalth paition. That hao been recognioad and accapt
I hope by my contribution to bo able to play acme part in
achieving tho consonoun which cloarly hoc tho potmition ofI i
Britian as an intogral, important part of achieving coqoan, i
So I will play my part, I hopo, in the parsuauiive procose.
JOURlNALIST: bilatorally to rome of tho voters, 1 ko
Canada and Now Zoaland. Will you ba fapoaking bilater illy
kxofore tho confokonce ctarts with ? Nrs Thatcher? j
P14t I would think so# yen.
JO3RNtALISTs Do you think thare its a chance, Mr Hawkep of
p~ rcucaainq 1,1ra~ Thatchor to ac mept the more limitad nan tic;
that Vonaal eanctiono which aro being proposed by Mr Amp,-iIG
PIA4: Lot no make it cloar. Mr Rampha2. in~ not talking oiL
comyrohontvG mandatory sanctions. And nor do I bei~ e~ a . kt
thatlo thca approoch which in achiavabiB o~ r appropriatoj, 1" 4
acm to mo that rathar wo ought to bo talking at thoo 001
eg arann %-hca, at this otoge, you ought to bo cblo totI
vary Vanoral agreerantp to be looking at a gracduat~ d pro.-i
But th; at all baing dono was tho clomont og an approcchKvihit
cao-look iw* o arc not juct talking elbout canctionc, ao~ i,~
economic pozource. M I hevo sai~ d at all tizaon, it ou
b'a much bp-ttcr if you didn't have to rosoot to senctio.
cll. Xt wculd be mvich bhottox if you could2 Vot utha 00
& Vrican mge~ ma to undorotand the incroeoing rp~ nne
tho world to the operation og the ! parthoid sysJtom~ Qndj
tham to undarsitand that thoy ought to otairt to tvlk to' ll
tlia cluxonto wiithi~ n Ljouth Africa who aro going to bo
inorta2t in Lachicoving a n3W South A61ica. Nowi, that a-j. w
X hczvo-1% 3n talthing Libout, cnd will hGro talk 12) bOUtr ilo
conoptoga group o: 2 rzinnt yo~ ono who will h. 2vo th
rC) niñ 1A~ Vog ndxoooir-t h=. c., oivctn to tho Vooo, c Z2
n 6eLnthCat, ac ta0Jdng to tho vcriosao; -1
i~ iXtc-7A7 toS oth A. Oicnn Eogims to try nnd co an
cccptac og? tho pvoilkion that chnnge voluntarily iwow: q
o bnt,&! ZN th2sfl oc_: thIx h e o Onu to imrcl3vDoan.
h; 53 to go f , nth~ on ilt ir; tomh Imoro liholy in that

r L/ 1
JOURNALIST: 14r Hawke, Glen Ella says South Africa is not s~ ji
a bad place. What do you think of that? i
PM: Well, I have not soon what Glan Ella has said. Rd 1L' 111
don't viant to involve myself in any observations about len,
I think that the world has an overwhelming amount of ev dant'
that tho society of South Africa is totally objectionab. e
JOURNALIST: Has he clmbarrassod you this week?
PH: No, he hasnnt ambarrarissd me.
JOURNALISTa Why did the Governent, Mr Hawkin, not put ore
pressure on the Rugby Union to ban these players? I
PH: Wall, that's something that I would rather loavo f r a
later date. I havo at this ataga no roacon to baliavo hct
the Auatralian Rugby Union ia going to participate or
condona Auotralion involveint at an official level, a
team lovol in compatition with South Africa, but the Hisnt i
as you know, hao written to the Australian Rugby Union, landH
I am optimiotic that out of the discuotiions that wiill t4eI
place botvioen tho Minister anid the Rugby Union that wo %-4ill I.
not have any infringement at that level of the Glaeaglos 1
Agra= nt.
i. JOURNALISTs Prigie N~ inistor, have you boon kept abrao of ' 1
Aaonatan ivch ' Tvr. n .1ays s& mnedia 1a~ e * Lma
concern? .1
PH: No, all I have Boon at this stage is the reforence 1cto
twelve, I think, individuala. That is an initial cable tal
I1 h~ vo -got. I will cortainly be seeking to romain fulN
informed, but X have no more details at this etage.
JOUIM3LIST: Do you think the frontlinie totatoo in Afric-wi 21
oupport the coimitteo proceca? it would oem to be,.
lanet ouprficially, a cof tening of thoir hLardlina poui ion
to dicniantle nparthaid now, a they have said. 1
PM: N~ o, but I think, Grog, that thrat queation in that orm0=
mis-un eoFotandJ what we are talking about. If we viora j* U13t.,
talking about a comittoe procaca, then I boliove thkt i
would bo unaccaptablo. But it io as mart of an ovarvall onM.
whicAh z~ citroan ouwcolvea C-Q quonzAOn OC how 4. tu
exrinont parv~ onm who would bo add1ranaing thumolvcoJ to tI1V I
procoune oC chango. X wkL-1hLn 4' d'hri oonwet. no 0 L
will it be acceptnble, but will be welccmed.

6762