PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, LE LAGON HOTEL, VANUATU
29 JULY 1990
9 OE PROOF ONLy
JOURNALIST:. Mr Hawke, have the Pacific leaders got any need
to worry about Johnston-Atoll?
PM: I think they should obviously ha ve a concern about it
and those concerns ought to be addressed,, as I think they
will be., in discussion at the Forum. I have had a number of
Our scientific experts look at this issue and I'll be
sharing those opinions with my colleagues.
JOURNALIST: *. topic dominate the discussions today-
PK:. No, it certainly didn't dominate the discussion. By no
mans. JOURNALIST: But how worried were the leaders
PM: They expressed-their concerns. They were perfectly
entitled. They should raise questions. I hope that in some
way we'll be able to allay-some of those concerns out of the
scientific opinions that have been provided to me. But as I
say, I don't want to go into those in detail until I've
discussed them under the appropriate heading in the meeting
. with my colleagues.
JOURNALIST: How confident are you there will be a
compromise on the Johnston Atoll issue?
PM: What do you mean a compromise? Do you think we're
going to launch an attack on the Americans?
JOURNALIST: Do you see Australia as being a go-between
between America and the FICs?
PM: No, I don'* t see that as the role of Australia to be a
go-between. I think the role of Australia is to provide our
colleagues with the information that we've got. obviously
Australia has a scientific capacity that is not available to
our friends. Its going to place that material fully before
them and share with them the material that I have.
JOURNALIST: So you're going to distribute the report?
PM: Well just how I will do it will be a matter for me.
I'll certainly either read it all out to them or give them
the copies of it to see. In the meeting I will certainly
fully share it with them.
JOURNALIST: What are the other issues likely to come up?
PM:-Well environmnental issues are obviously important.
Generally I think they'll want to talk about the New Zealand
initiative. our friends from New Zealand are wanting to put
some additional money into SPREP, the South Pacific Regional
Environmental Program. We'll be able to report on the
progress that we are making with the initiative I undertook
two years ago to provide monitoring stations in the region
to look at what is happening to sea levels, which is an
important topic for our friends in this region. so
environmental matters will be important. And I would think
also there'll be some discussion about New Caledonia not I
think a dominating discussion but we want to make sure that
in the United Nations again this year that we can get a
common position on that. Thatfil be a matter for some
discussion. JOURNALIST: of New Caledonia you've got some, well, a
meeting that you're probably not going to look forward to
with Michael Mansell who's here claiming
PM: What meeting an I having with Michael Mansell? You've
got news I haven't got mate.
JOURNALIST: He's here and he wants to
PH: Well he won't be seeing me I can tell you that.
JOURNALIST:* He's seeking recognition that
PM: Look, don't let's get excited about Mr Mansell. You
know what he represents and that's zilch.
JOURNALIST: Does he have the potential to embarrass you
here though?
PM: Do I look embarrassed comrade?
JOURNALIST: He wants to be recognised by the Forum as a
member government representative
PM: Look, it is Sunday and I think you shouldn't joke too
much on the Sabbath. it's not proper.
JOURNALIST: Has he got any right at all to
PM: He's got a right to be here. But he's got no right to
claim to represent anyone other than Michael Mansell.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when you see Nauru will you be
asking them to reconsider their bid for international court
action, sort of justice action, compensation for the mining
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PH: It's up to Nauru as to whether they want to pursue
their action in an International Court of Justice. I thiljc,
as is so often the case in these matters, the only people
who will. prosper out of that are the lawyers. They never
miss out.
JOURNALIST: You don't see. Australia as being, should hand
over any money at all in that matter?
PH: if they want to proceed with that matter in the
International Court of Justice wie will fight that
vigorously. But that won't affect our determination to try
and assist that country because their phosphate supplies
will run out in four to five years, seems to be the
estimate. I believe we've got some obligation within our
general approach of assistance in the South Pacific region
to try arnd help them to deal with those problems. But
that's a matter entirely independent of their action in the
IcJ.
ends