TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
AND WA PREMIER CARM'EN LAWRENCE,
DOORSTOP, JANUARY 31 1992.
( PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT)
E OE PROOF COPY
PM: I have had a most enjoyable discussion with the
Premier, I say she has very positive and
optimistic view of the future and we have had very
useful talks.
Premier: We did yes, We are all very pleased that Mr
Keating fairly understood the importance of
Western Australians economy to a national
recovery. We're export oriented, we're strong
and we need the tax consensus and infrastructure
development to make this recovery really go.
J: Mr Keating, the increase in rural crisis, what can
they expect from the economic statement?
PM: Well they've been in crisis because of
international market prices and conditions largely
which the economic statement cannot change. But
we will be considering carefully the interests of
rural Australia and you will have to wait and see.
J: Mr Keating just how much impact will today's talks
have on your forthcoming statements?
PM: Well I find every time one takes the trouble to
listen what people have to say, you invariable
find something new or a number of new thoughts
come from it. That's happened in again today, and
it is very useful. Each of the States have a
different complexion about them, obviously there
is a great difference between Western Australia
and Victoria, which is a largely manufacturing
state. Western Australia is a primary export
state, it has different interests and therefore
different concerns and frankly you don't pick them
up in written submissions you pick them up in
conversation. That's why I had this conversation
with the Premier this morning, and also the one
with the business community which we both had
later.
J: Then what do you understand to be our particular
problem here in the West?
PM: Well they are problems of competitively,
maintenance of competitively and opportunity as
well as continuing to develop Western Australia in
a way in which it has been developing itself now
for a long period of time, because it has taken up
opportunities which come along, and be in a
position to do so.
the spending proposal which....... what
commitments have you given to What ones are
you actually going to give?
PM: We are not about to announce things here and now
to the media. But there is a proper process of
consultation between the Commonwealth Government
and the State Government and we will draw these
things together on a national basis for the
statement. So the communications we have had with
the Premier and her Government, and that which we
will have between now and statement time will
allow us to fabricate a statement which I think
will have a very clear and good national
complexion to it.
J: Can you tell us the day of the statement?
PM: No I can't.
J: Mr Keating, the National Railway Authority is just
about to begin operation. How will it effect rail
state operations in Western Australia?
PM: Well I think, Western Australia does have an
opportunity in land-bridging freight into the
eastern states and it can be an important part of
the service sector of Western Australia. But it
will never be that competitive if the rail system
in general is not competitive. But it is beyond
Western Australia and that's an important issue
not just for Western Australia but for the rest of
the country.
J: Did Western Australians shopping list
PM: Well, I have to say, as the Premier, that she
definitely provides with an extensive shopping
list, that's quite a number of things sensibly
were common to the things which were said to us by
other Heads of Government around Australia.
3
PREMIER: The important thing was in the infrastructure in
the capital works program is that we provided a
list of opportunities. We haven't suggested for
one moment that they should be all attended to,
but they are ready to go and there are some other
ideas that we can obviously develop jointly which
can have important effects on industry
competitively particularly.
J: Mr Keating, the Premier's view is that the economy
should, the national economy should the
program of infrastructure expanding is that
PM: Well that's obviously part of our view. That some
of the things which we can do in the short term
for activity, ought to be things which have a
longer term productive focus about them and the
extent that the Premier nominates infrastructure
projects, she is right.
J: Are you getting a different message from the
business community here?
PM: No.
J: Was there a back down on the wage tax
PM: Oh no, lets understand. Look this is all a
generated by Dr Hewson who claims himself to be a
Professor of Economics, and if Dr Hewson doesn't
understand yet the difference between nominal wage
outcomes and real wage outcomes, that is the rate
of wage increase is less inflation and the fact
that this year inflation is lower than forecast
and that there is an unexpected increase in real
wages, if you can't understand that, the simple
point, he must of escaped a very large part of his
economic training.
J: Mr Keating the..
PM: Well, I don't think you understand it either. Do
you?
J: What will you tell workers?
PM: I'm just trying to make this point. We are
talking about the current year's wages. The
current years wage increases forecast in the 1991
Budget. They are of the order of four to four and
a half per cent. But inflation happily is at one
and a half, so therefore there is a real increase
in there of two plus percentage points on the
current year but on the future year, the
Government has not decided that in can support a
wage increase before the National Wage Case.
That's the point. But that's not new matter.
J: Mr Keating the Australian dollar
PM: Pal listen, I have been asked questions about
exchange rates by the best of them.
J: Mr Keating our State Government seems very keen
for the Irons Marino project to go ahead. How
keen is the Federal Government
PM: I think it will an important part of Australians
national infrastructure and an important addition
to mining capacity in Australia.
J: Do you think Mr Hawke will leave the Labor Party
that will cause a by-election surely?
PM: Well, I was asked that by a lady this morning.
J: Wouldn't it be, do you think Mr Hawke should stay?
PM: Well, I was asked by a lady on the radio, just
check the transcript the answer is there.
J: Dr Hewson on the flag... Do you
( inaudible)
PM: I don't think it is a matter of timetabling it,
but I made my position, well I was asked about it,
I gave a view about it.
J: Do you have any personal preferences for the flag.
Do you see it changing Australian
PM: Do I see it changing in the immediate term? No.
ENDS