PRIME MINISTER
E AN 0 E PROOF ONLY
COMMIENTS RY THE PRIME fMINISTER AT " RAAF BASE FRIDAY. 23 JANUARY 1987
JOURNALIST: ARE YOU LOOKING FOR'WARED-TOTHE-TRIP?
Pi: YES. THERE'S A VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED THIS MORTIING
THAT I THINK WE ALL SHOULD 3E AWARE OF. I HAD A CALL FRON PRESIDENT
REAGAN ON A VERY IMPORTANT HATTER, A CONTEST THAT IS GOING TO BE
TAKING PLACE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AUSTRALIA, WHICH BEGINS WHILE I'M
AUAY. HE SAID HE WASN'T NORMALLY A PU4TING MAN. IT'S NOT SOMETHING
I CAN SAY MYSELF IN RECIPROCATION. HE THOUGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE
SOME WAGER BETWEEN US. HE NOMINATED THE STAKES OF ONE OF HIS WHITE
COWBOY HATS AGAINST AN AUSTRALIAN AKUBRA. SO THE STAKES ARE SET.
JOURNALIST: SO HE'S 9ACKING TKE AMERICANS?
P-I: YES HE IS.
JOURNALIST: HAS RE GOT ANY CHANCE?
P14: WELL THEY'RE IN THE RACE, BUT WE'LL WIN.
-JOURNALIST: PRI9E MINISTER, ON Y-OU---T-I-P-DO-Y-OU--T-HI-NK--OUR-E--WALKINJG
A DIPLOIATIC-TIGHTROPE?
Pit: NO I DON'T THINK IT'S A DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPE. IT HAS HISTORICALLY
BEEN A VERY COMPLEX AREA, TENSE AREA. BUT I HAVE VERY GOOD RELATIONS
WITH THE LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTRIES THAT 1' fM VISITING OF JO DAN AND
ISRAEL AND EGYPT. AND AUSTRALIA ITSELF HAS GOOD STANDING. WE'RE
RECOGNISED AS A COUNTRY WHICH HAS A RESPONSIULE APPROACH TO THE
PROBLEAS OF THAT AREA, BASED UPON ON THE ONE HAND THE RECOGNI'TION OF
. THE RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO EXIST, BEING BEHIND SECURE AND RECOGNISED
3ORDERS. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHTS Of THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THAT'S RESPECTED AND I GO THERE NOT TO ASSUME
ANY GRAND ROLE AS MEDIATOR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'VE MADE IT
QUITE CLEAR THAT I GO THERf TO LISTEN AND MERELY TO SAY THAT IF IN
ANY WAY AUSTRALIA CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE AT ANY TIE THEN THAT
WOULD BE FORTHCOMING.
JOURNALIST: BUT YOU DO HAVE A PASSIONATE INTEREST, ALMOST A LOVE FOR
ISRAEL, DON* T YOU? CAN YOU BE EVEN-HANDED?
PM: I WISH PEOPLE WOULD RECOGNISE WHAT IVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY SAYING
ABOUT THIS. OF COURSE I HAVE. STRONG, CONTINUING COMMITMENT OF THE
RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO EXIST. I RECOGNISE ITS IMPORTANCE FOR THE PEOPLE
OF THE JEWISH FAITH, I HAVE ALWAYS, AT THE SAME TIME, ACKNOWLEDGED
THE RIGHTS Of THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. I HAVE NO DIFFICULTY AT ALL IN
RECONCILING THE NATURE OF MY COMMITMENT IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL WITH A
RESPONSIBLE ASSESSMENT Of WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ATTEMPT TO BRING SOME
RESOLUTION Of THIS PERMANENT CONFLICT Ij THE REGION, W4ICH IS NOT
ONLY TRAGIC FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE REGIO14 ITSELF, OUT REMAINS ONE Of
THE POTENTIAL FLASH POINTS Of DANGER FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
JOUkNALIST: WHAT ABOUT MR VANUNU PIME MINISTER, ARE YOU GOING TO
4AISE THAT ; MATTER?
PM: ANYTHING I HAVE TO SAY A0OlT THAT IS NOT HELPED BY PUBLIC
COtiMENT. JOURNALIST: ONE OT4ER THING. WE LEARN FROM THE PAPERS THIS MORNING
THAT WE'VE REJECTED THE UN REQUEST FOR A SEMINAR. CAN YOU TELL US
WHY? LV. E GO. T-N-O_ COM-MET _ TO . MAKE _ ON_ THAT AT TH IS _ STAGE.
JOURNALIST: MR HAWKE, AS YOU'RE LEAVING ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE
MEDIA OWNERSHIP MESS THAT YOU'RE LEAVING BEHIND?
PM: WHAT MESS?
JOURNALIST: WELL THE CURRENT STATE OF FLUX.
PM: CERTAINLY A CURRENT STATE OF FLUX, BUT I NOTICED ALL MY PAPERS
HERE THERE THIS MORNING. TELEVISION STATIONS ARE STILL OPERATING AfiD
THE RADIO IS WORKING. YOU'RE ALL GIVING US A FAIR GO.
JOURNALIST: DID YOU EVER THISK'THE CROSS OWNERSHIP RULES WOULD HAVE
LED TO THE TYPE OF SITUATIOti WE'VE SEEN?
PM: I'VE HAD A VIEW ABOUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE AREA OF
LEGISLATION AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED DOUBT ABOUT THE WISDOM OF
WHAT WE'VE DOING. IT SEEMS TO BE HAVING ITS AFFECTS NOW BEFORE IT IS
EVE\ Oil THE STATUTE BOOKS. I'MI QUITE RELAXED ABOUT IT ALL.
ENDS. 4