PM Transcripts

-E E PROOF ONLY
TRANSCRIPT OF COMMENTS BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE FRONT STEPS
OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY 1987
PM: that I hope that we were gracious winners in 1983 and we
S_ -will -certainly be gracious losers in 1987, and we will be very
very tough competitors again in 1990-91. But I want to say as I
did last night when I spoke to him, congratulations to Dennis
Conner I admired the way he took his defeat in 1983 and I have
admired his tenacity and single-mindedness in setting about
regaining the Cup. So he has our best wishes and I hope he
enjoys it for the next 3 or 4 years. Finally I want to say to
Iain Murray, as I did last night, don't feel let down you did
your best, you and your crew did your very very best, you did
Australia proud and we know that you will be in there helping
fight for Australia to get it back next time.
-JOURNALIST: Have you ordered the Akubra, Mr Hawke?
PM: No, but I have taken steps to see that it is safe and it
will be sent with my best wishes to the President.
JOURNALIST: Is Mr Reagan. a. better punter than you are?
FH1: Oh well I don't know, you nc judge a punter or e
politician on one performance. I ! h> e got a pretty gc! record
over the years in the punting stak. ts.
JOURNA LIST: Prime Minister, are you also enjoying the
competition in the opposition?
aiPtt ' g: e ts better and bett; r doesn't it. It's lone-. nd more
amusino than Blue Hills. Lit really there are some v\
devasta. ting things being sa. d by Sir Joh about his i, : as and by
his friends about Sir Joh but really I don't spendvc: much time
thinking about that I am just getting on with the tasi of
governing and running the country and I think that pc. j-le are
able to see the contrast between the steadiness of thf?
Government and the perthetic nature of the opposition.
JOURNALIST: What are the odds on Andiew Peacock
PM: Interesting.
ends