' 34
TRANSCRIPT OF COMMENTS, MOORABBIN -MELBOURNE,
SUNDAY 29 MARCH 1987
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, what is the likelihood now of an early
election following the Coalition decision to stay together?
PM: I haven't got anything to add to what I said before
about that. I have said all along my preference is that we
go full term. I will have a look at the situation but I
believe the Parliament will go the full term.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the fact that the Coalition has
stayed together changes matters at all?
PM: Stayed together? Haven't you read the weekend news?
They are in total disarray. The most remarkable thing in
Australian politics has happened this weekend. Remember what
the story of the conservatives in the past has been that
the Parliamentary Labor Party is not independent, it is
controlled by faceless men outside. We have now got the
position where the National Party is not only controlled by
the people outside -they are telling it what it will do and
when it will do it. But they have gone one step further now,
they have put it my hands. They have left it to Bob Hawke
to determine the future policy position of the National
Party. They will withdraw from the Coalition when Bob Hawke
makes up his mind about an early election. Now isn't that
something? JOURNALIST: So Mr Hawke are you saying that May 9 won't be
an early election?
PM: I have never said it would be, so why should I say it is
not. That is marvellous. Someone else creates a proposition
and says it is going to be on May 9. And now I have got to
say that what someone else has said is not going to happen.
You will have to do better than that.
JOURNALIST: Can you say that it won't happen on May 9?
PM: I never said it would happen.
JOURNALIST: There has been a lot of speculation.
PM: If I spent my time denying or indulging in comments upon
the speculations of others I would never be able to get on
with the business of running the country. And that is what
we are doing.
JOURNALIST: Can you end speculationi that there will be an
early election?
PM: I can't stop people speculating. They have spent the
whole weekend there at the Nationals' conference speculating
and, as I say, putting the future of their party in my hands.
I think that is fantastic. Feav" it to Bob~ Hawke to decide
when the Nationals will pull out of the Coalition. Isn'* t
that something? Marvellous.
JOURNALIST: What about talk of the Party booking the Opera
House? PM: I must say that came as a surprise to me. T honestly
didn't know that they had done it. Butsil I suppose that
is a conscientious secrotary looking after all possibilities.
I didn't know it had been done.
JOURNALIST: What do you think of Joh's push naow?
PM: Joh's push, how do you spell that or
p-u-s-h?
JOURNALIST: P-u-s-h.
PM: I think it is still there. And Mr Sinclair thinks it is
still there. Did you look at Ian Sinclair and Ralph Hunt on
the television while Joh was speaking. When Joh stood up and
said " I bring you good news", he announced to the National
Party, with his hands like the messiah, " I bring you good
news, the Coalition is finished". And did you look at Mr
Sinclair. Marvellous. They are a happy little bunch of
pilgrims, aren't they?
JOURNALIST: So has this weekend been a time to weigh pros
and cons of an early election?
PM: No. I went to the football and saw the Swans have a
magnificent victory. I was doing things other than thinking
about politics. Did you see them? Marvellous victory.
JOURNALIST: So do you still hope to be the Prime Minister to
take Australia into its bicentennial year?
PM: Yes, I will be.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke. I understand there is a Government
meeting in Canberra today finalising details of the
mini-budget. Can you say what areas
PM: That is absolutely wrong. Finalising the details?
There is a meeting of the ERC, but that would be going on at
any rate. They are meeting, they will be meeting for days
and days. And I noticed amongst this early talk of
speculation that I had summoned a full meeting of the
Ministry to discuss the early election. That meeting of the
Ministry was called some time ago and for other matters. And
I saw one fervid piece of speculation that I had told them
all to turn up in dark suits to look serious and responsible.
if I had told them all to turn up in dark suits you know what
Bill would do my mate Bill Hayden. He would deliberately
come along in that beautiful yellow checked suit of his.
People are letting their imaginations run a bit wild. It is
a normal meeting to call the full Ministry together to
consider other matters. I don't think they will all be in
dark suits. Some of them might even come in open-necked
shirts. ENDS _ I