TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, CANBERRA
6 MARCH 1992
E OE PROOF COPY
J: What chance do you give the Party in Wills, now that
you have set a date?
PM: Well, the Liberal Party have a 20 point lead in the
polls. I mean for them, they ought to be regarding
this as a shoe-in. So we always knew it would be a
battle : for us, but we'll fight it out.
I
J: How much time will you spend fighting it?
PM: Who got you up this early Laurie ( Oakes)? Early bird
catches the worm.
J: Why are you talking your chances down in Wills?
PM: Well, for the simple reason that the Labor Party's
stocks have been reasonably low in the State of
Victoria, and we have been 20 points behind, that's
why. It is not a matter of talking it down, it's fact.
But again we've got a bit of a margin there. But the
by-election swings have been larger generally than our
margin, notwithstanding the general situation in
Victoria.
J: Will you be there very often yourself?
I
PM: Well, enough Laurie ( Oakes), whatever that turns out to
be.
J: Will you do a Bob Carr and go to the supermarkets?
PM: I don't know whether that is the thing to do, but I
will do what I think is best.
J: How big a threat are independents in Wills?
PM: I don't know. I don't know. But we will fight Wills
hard. We will fight Wills hard. The Labor Party
stands for something. We stand for changing the State
of Victoria. This statement, ' One Nation', will vastly
improve the business base of Victoria, the commerce,
trade, freight, new businesses, a whole new industry
for Victoria and it beats taxing your Weeties and your
Kelloggs at 15 per cent.
J: No tax cuts for low income earners...?
PM: We are not here for open heart surgery Paul,
( Bongiorno).
J: What do you think about the cricket loss last night?
PM: Oh well.
ENDS