PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, WARREN SNOWDON'S OFFICE, ALICE
SPRINGS, 30 MARCH 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, were you able to give the
Aboriginal people a timetable for the introduction of the
ATSIC Bill or for the completion of the ATSIC Bill?
PM: I spoke to them about that, but that's something that's
got to go to the Cabinet on Monday and iL's not appropriate,
ye told them in conference the broad outlines of what I
think wil. be happening. But it's qot to go to the Cabinet
and you'll become aware of it in due course.
JOURNALIST: Do they want any major changes?
PM: No I didn't talk about major changes at all.
JOURNALIST: Are you hopeful of legislation this session,
this year?
PM: I1 hope so.
JOURNALIST: Are they prepared to offer support for Minister
Hand? PM: There was no question, other than of support for Mr
Hand. Why should there be?
JOURNALIST: What about their concerns of a new legislation
in the Northern Territory affecting sacred sites?
PM: Yes, we talked about that.
JOURNALIST: Were you able to give
PM: Well the situation there is that Minister Hand took up
with the Northern Territory Government the concerns that have
been expressed to him by the Aboriginal people. In the light
of Minister Hand's discussions with the Northern
Territory Government they have undertaken to introduce
amendments. So they, I understand, will come in at the end
of April or the beginning of May and so we Just have to wait
and see whether those amendmdents meet the legitimate
concerns.
JOURNALIST: Was there any discussion of the treaty that you
talked about last time you were here?
PM: No there wasn't.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, what's your reaction to Mr
Namaliu's decision to defer his visit to Australia?
PM: Well that's perfectly a matter appropriate for him to
be taking into account. He's got problems in Bougainville
and he and the Cabinet discussed those and the Cabinet
decided it was not appropriate for him, with the troubles
they've got there in Bougainville, for him to be out of the
country. It's a perfectly understandable decision. It's a
postponement, not a cancellation.
JOURNALIST: Was there any discussion on stock routes and
stock reserves?
PM: And excisions? Yes, we talked about that. Yes we did.
JOURNALIST: Will the Federal Government be doing anything
about that?
PM: Yes, I'm going to be discussing this matter with Mr
Hand. I want to find out from him exactly where he's reached
on it. I think there will be a submission coming to the
Cabinet shortly but I've undertaken with my friends here to
raise that matter with him and see just when it will be
coming to Cabinet.
JOURNALIST: Have you got anything to say about the visit of
Vice President Quayle for the Coral Sea celebrations?
PM: No, other than to say that it's a very significant
decision. He's the Vice President of the United States, a
half head away from the Presidency as it's often put, and he
will be a welcome visitor to Australia.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, what's your reaction to Fred Chaney's
preselection
PM: Oh yes, he made it at last did he? Well, I am not
concerned about it, perhaps John Howard is, he ought to be.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, are you concerned about
PM: He's not going down to the Lower House for the good of
his health or the good of John Howard's health.
JOURNALIST: Do you think he'd make a good Opposition leader?
PM: Room for improvement isn't there?
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke are you concerned about the security of
Commonwealth drivers? There've been some revelations this
morning? PM: Well, I just saw the reference to that. I don't think
that that reference to one driver should induce me to a state
of panic about the condition or state of Commonwealth drivers
generally. JOURNALIST: Should they be checked, their bona fides be
checked?
PM: I think all our bona fides should be checked even the
media, don't you?
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, were the Aboriginal people happy about
the amount of consultation there's been on the ASTIC Bill?
PM: Yes, I mean they raised no concerns with me about that.
Their concern is that the legislation get through. They seem
totally committed to it.
JOURNALIST: And you think that'll happen before the next
election? PM: I trust so, yes, yes.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, has there been any progress on the
treaty, was there any discussions?
PM: No, there was not any discussion here. My friends
didn't raise it with me here, but I've just recently, this
week had discussions with Minister Hand about it and he will
be coming to me within the very near future, within the next
week I think, with further details about the processes that
he has underway for furthering the consultations in the
Aboriginal community and also in the non-Aboriginal community
because it's quite clear that we need to not only have the
Aboriginal people themselves discussing the sorts of things
that they want to see in such a treaty but we have to have
these things discussed in the general community and he has
developed ideas about that to further these processes. He'll
be coming back to me, as I say, very shortly on that.
JOURNALIST: Would you support the idea of using someone like
former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser to be
involved in those sort of discussions?
PM: I think those concepts make a lot of sense. I mean I
think the idea of getting a group of Eminent Persons whose
stature, commitment is beyond question. That sort of concept
makes sense and I think it is maybe that sort of thing that
the Minister will be developing with me.
ends