APR. 19 ' 86 02: 33 PUSTRRLIAN DIPLOMATIC NETWORK
TRANSCRIOT OF INTERVIEW FOR NBC TODAY SHOW WITH JANE PAULEY
18 APRIL 1986
SO E PROOF ONLY
PAULEY: As if it were possible, world events have become
even more turbulent in the last several weeks making friends
all the more critical. Australia is an important friend
and ally. Australia's Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, is in
Washington for a visit. He joins us from there. Good
morning, Mr Prime Minister.
PM: Gooc morning, Jane.
PAULEY: You have certainly chosen an interesting week to
visit Washington. Have you been pressed to endorse the
action ir Libya Monday night?
PM: No,
statement statement
with the
reflecte*
PAULEY: think thi
could I A
air stri)
PM: You
statemen
upon whi4
opportun: I regard
that we i
seeing f4
Jane, is
terrorim by Libya
conflict we haven't been pressed on that at all. We made our
in Canberra before we left. We made a very clear
in the United Nations on Thursday and our conversation
President and other members of the Administration have
I their understanding of those statements.
Your statements are, well let's say ambiguous. I
i Administration interprets them as support, but
Lsk you directly, do you support the Administration's
: e against Libya?
could ask me directly, and my answer is that the
shows quite clearly our understanding of the basis
Ph the United States took their action. I had the
6ty, as has my Foreign Minister, of seeing the evidence.
the evidence as authentic and compelling. Having said
rurncdee rstand that basis, we have said that we don't like
as a basis of the resolution of conflict. Our concerz
to look to the future and to say that the ending of
the direction and the export and control of terrorism
is an essential condition to bring an* end to this
PAULEYt Your neighbour and mutual alliance partner New Zealand
has thre atened the continuity of the ANZUS with its
anti-nuc . ear government. I understand there is a significant
anti-nuc; ear movement growing, even your own political party.
-W calchf Sr
PRIME MINISTER P. 02
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I 2.
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PMs What Jne?
PAULEYt Catching, what some have called the New Zealand fever,
the anti-nuclear fever?
PM: -No, that exists in our country. It exists in every free
country in the world. It is not particularly allowed to
-flourish behind the Iron Curtain, but in all democracies
you have got it. In our country, we are quite unequivocal,
as a Government and a clear majority of the Australian people,
we are in favour of ANZUS. It is going to stay in place.
We don't agree with the New Zealand position. If they
continue their position and put it into legislation, the
President of the United States and I will exchange letters
of intent which will maintain the operation of the ANZUS
between Ausiralia and the United States.
PAULEY. Your business here, I think, is agriculture first
and foremosi. Is Australia getting caught in a squeeze play
between western Europe and the United States in agriculture?
PM1 Yes, we are. And not only are we being hurt in the process.
We have losi about a billion dollars a year in the last five
years as a result of what the Europeans have done. The United
States, in a sense understandably, is now going into the
business of trying to out-subsidise Europe. That can't go
on because in the end, the tax payers pockots and the United
States are Jlust going to be dipped into more and more, which
is going totally corrupt the international trading regime.
And decent and efficient producers like Australia are going
to suffer. And that is why I have said to the President, and
he has agreed, that the United States has to take the lead
with our support in the new multi-lateral trade negotiations
which commente later this year, Jane, to have agriculture right
up there on the agenda to see that you can have a new
international trading regime where efficient producers are
going to be able a reasonable price for their product.
PAULEYs Prime Minister Hawke, thank you for joining us.
We look forward to seeing you in Australia come next year.
PM: Thank ypu and we are looking forward to seeing you all
there. And Z hope you are up there against us in the Cup.
ends o' ON t6 41