PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OP THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING M P,
PRESS CONFERENCE, AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION, MONIARA,
SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM, 9 JULY 1992
E& OE PROOF COPY
PM: Well I might just give you a few introductory
comments. I think that's the order of the day. The
first thing I'll say is I found my attendance for
the first time at the Forum a worthwhile experience.
This is the main mechanism for high level dialogue
in the Pacific, and I think it provides a sense of
community to Pacific Island countries, indeed to all
the countries of the Pacific, but there is a place
to rome to talk, and therA is a clear and dAfinablA,
not only sense of community, but community, and that
we've got a forum for sensible discussion of
important political and stratcgic intcrcts.
There was a strong sense at this meeting that the
South Pacific in not immune from rocont dramatic
ohangoo in the world. The environment ic obvioucly
an aro of oonoern here, global warming worrica are
concerns to a number of -Torl m ' cour--ias,
particularly where some don't rise much more than
about 4 metres above sea level, and that's an issue
of concern to them. I was able to announce
yesterday new environmental assistance measures,
which I outlined in a press release, I think that
you have. And that was a matter of great interest
Lv uu mum vC Lheu vumun! Ly hare becauu tley
know thai the things that Australia has already been
doing, in terms of monitoring patterns in tides and
sea patterns and further climate change monitoring
which we'll do by yesterdy-' announcement, was I
think regarded well.
The Forum also welcomed the moratorium on French
nuclear testing in the Pacific. I suggested that
Forum members write formally to President Mitterand.
That suggestion was taken up. The Cook Islands then
suggested that other nuclear powers be written to in
similar terms over nuclear testing, as the French
have said that the longevity of their moratorium
will in part depend upon what other nuclear powers
do in relation to testing. So it was, I suppose,
appropriate that we write not simply formally to the
French but to others.
Today I will sign, on behalf of Australia, the Niue
Treaty on Fisheries Surveillance, which is the
treaty which will provide a cooperative relationship
between countries in surveillance of fisheries, and
means that each will come to the aid of the other in
protecting those fisheries, and in that sense is I
think an i1Wpurtunt treaty.
We expect the Forum to approve a declaration on
regional law enforcement, that's a pledge of
cooperation to address* such issues as drugs, money
laundering and tourism, by improving cooperation in
legal and law enforcement areas.
I've had a number of bilateral meetings with Mr
Bolger yesterday, in the evening I arrived with
Prime Minister Mamaloni, and this morning with Mr
Rabuka, also late yesterday with Mr Tofilau EtifE
Western Samoa, and I may have another one orEWobefore
I leave.
You've already covered, I think, some of the
substance of the meeting I had with Mr Bolger. You
mig~ ht be iini~ tL huwwLilay I had withl Prime
Minister Rabuka this morning. I told him that
Australia welcomes the restoration of representative
Government in Fiji and the continued effort towards
constitutionar1Y-eorm-As a result I told him, and
I am prepared now to be able to tell you, that I
think it is now appropriate to resume defence
cooperation with Fiji. Initially that renewed
defence cooperation will concentrate on maritime
surveillance and training, and will include a
resumption of operational Royal Aukstralian Nvy_
ivisits to Fiji, resumption of aerial maritime
surveillance patrols in and through Fiji's exclusive
economic zone, and also offering Fiji training
places in the joint services military college in
Canberra for the traininzg of Fiji itillLay force
personnel. Prime Minister Rabuka indicated to me that he was
intending to visit Australia privately in September.
I have extended to him an offer to visit Australia
as a guest of the Australian Government, which he
was ver'y ylad Lu 4vuept. So lie shall come in
September. I think Senator Ray is planning a visit
in October. So other defence cooperation can be
discussed on those two occasions.
I think I might leave my introductory remarks at
that.
3: How do you now view the relationship with Fiji, just
summing it up?
PM: I think there is an opportunity for Prime minister
Rabuka to open up a dialogue with the whole Fiji
community about its future, about its constitutional
future, about giving everybody a place in
representative government in Fiji. And one gets
that sense that an opportunity is present. I'd like
to see us maximise that opportunity. And now
they've returned to representative government and he
has made clear his commitment to constitutional
reform and dialogue that this is the time for a
restoration of full relations and cooperation
between us, and can I say, good will.
J: Are you confident that the racial weighting in the
constitution w411 be done away with?
PM: We didn't discuss the constitution in detail, but
sure he believes there is some historic
opportunity to consider Fiji as a community in a
broader sense, as a result of the events of the last
five years. And we in Australia would certainly
welcome that opportunity.
J: Will you be pushing for Fiji to be allowed back into
the Commonwealth?
PM: This is a matter for Fiji, I think, as much as for
anyone else. It's not particularly a matter for
Australia, but naturally we would be sympathetic.
J: Were you able to meet with the Vanuatu Prime
Minister?
PM: No, not yet. I'll probably see him later today I
think.
J: Any change of the position there, Mr Keating?
PM: No, not that I know of, but I'll speak to him later.
J: Prime Minister, how much is the resumption of
military links with Fiji worth in dollar terms?
Pm: I don't know. But I think its worth goes beyond..
it's assessed by the Prime minister and the
Government of Fiji, I'm sure, beyond simply the
monetary value or monetary cost of any operation.
J: Should the review of their constitution not result
in changes, will we change our attitude towards
Fiji?
PM: Why jump to those sort of conclusions? Let's wait
to see what happens.
J: Mr Rabuka's visit in September, is there anything
planned for while he is here?
PH: Well it was for him a private visit, but I'm
extending the offer, the invitation to con* as a
guest of the Government, which he has accepted, So,
no doubt the visit will widen and he will do other
things. I should hope he would.
J: Do you have any concerns about the situation in
ELougainville, even though it was not formally on the
agenda?
PH: Well one always has concerns, naturally, about these
things. I mean there is an armed cessationist
movement on Bougainville which the Papua New Guinean
Governmient is trying to deal with. It's a matter of
concern to us, to the neighbourhood, but I think the
Forum regard it as internal problem for--Papua New
Guinea, as we did.
J: What about the allegations of Australian weaponry
and bullets being used against civiliansT
PM: The Papua New Guinean defence minister and defence
commander have stated publicly that the conditions
under which we provided Iroquoi helicopters have not
been breached. Now we are seeking to establish
whether this is so. Were it to be so, of course, we
would make plain our objection. But I've already
said, and so has the Foreign Minister, that we
expect the conditions under which those equipments
are being provided to be maintained, and adhered to,
and honoured.
3: How are we seeking to establish that, Mr Keating?
PM: The position there is unclear and it's not going to
be easy for it to established, but as quickly as we
can, we will.
3: Will that be through intelligec encies?
PH: Let's say we will try to establish it.
3: How concerned are you about reports of abuse of
human rights in Bougainville?
PM: We've sought an official response to the allegations
made the other day, collected on Bougainville by the
Australian lawyer, Rosemary Gillespi, and it is to
that which we seek a response from the Government ot
Papua New Guinea, a considered response.
J: Doesn't there come a point where it stops being an
internal situation, as we have seen in Dili for
example?
pM: We're hoping that a political settlement can be
arrived at, and in my discussions with Prime
MinisterMamaloni I urged that the quicker a
dialo-cguje e -re-etablishedb etween the Solomon
islands and Papua New Guinea the better, as well.
And I think that when the Government settles down in
Papua Now Guinea after next week's sitting then it
might be possible, and that could help as veil.
J: Isn't it clear that machine gun fire from our
helicopters is consistent
PM: I don't think it's clear, no. The claims may be
made, but whether the aircraft is responding to fire
against itself is not clear. But were it to be
clear that these gun ships are being used in a
offensive manner, this would be contrary to the
conditions under which we have provided them to
Papua New Guinea, and we would then be suggesting to
the Papua New Guinean Government that they be
withdrawn from the service area.
J: Is there anything Australia can do? They can't take
them back?
PM4: No.
J: in your meeting with Mr Bolger did you assure him
whether the New Zealand economy wouldn't be an issue
in the run up to the next election in Australia?
PM: Of course not, he didn't ask for that assurance and
I didn't give it. We're all grown up, and we are
all in the position I thinX, as mature nations, to
discuss issues of substance and political and
economic ideas, whether they have said to emanate or
be part of New Zealand's economic policy or anyone
else's. I mean, this sort of ' thought -police'
routine on our political debate is immature and
silly.
J: Is that what Mr Bolger was suggesting?
PM: No, I don't think so. What he was suggesting, he
thought that some of our Ministers had taken New
Zealand's name in vein. I notice in one report this
morning that he thought I had. I don't think I had,
well I told him not to regard that at all very
seriously, but he might have regarded it more
seriously than I did.
3: The issue of policing arrangements in the region.
How serious a threat are criminal activities, or is
this just a preventative measure?
PM: It's a preventative measure and a cooperative
framework to deal with the problems. These are very
open borders, naturally, and the more willingness
there is on the part of member states to cooperate
with one another in these areas the better.
J: What impact does it have on Pacific tax havens?
PH: Nothing, not in that sense. Our national
governments have laws which cover tax havens, as
Australia does with its Foreign Source Income
Legislation, so that's how we treat income as a
matter for us.
J: Mr Bolger has written to the Governor General of the
Solomon Islands to apologise for being late. Will
you?
PM: No. This is a very small issue. I know some of you
have been sold a line on this by some of the local
journalists on a day short of news. This is
standard tact for the Australian press corps to go
back to irrelevancies.
J: Just domestically, interest rates
PM: I'm not here to discuss this. As I said before I
left, I'm not discussing domestic policy issues.
J: Can you clarify the position on the aviation
agreement that you discussed with New Zealand
yesterday, and to abolish visa-free entyUinto New
Zealand?
PM: Australia would like to arrive at a position where
we have an Australasian airline market. And that
would invol-ve fl-ying domestic terminal to domestic
terminal, rather than through the international
terminals which have always got pressure on them,
and where movements of passengers is delayed by the
processing time, and where generally movements of
aircraft through international terminals can be
delayed by all sorts of extraneous factors. So,
given the fact that New Zealand is closer to the
East Coast of Australia than other parts of
Australia it makes sense, therefore, that we should
have an Australasian airline market. That
necessarily involves being clear about our
emigration procedures, and will inevitably involve
consideration about a common border. So therefore
we would insist that our border not to be a porous
one, or made porous by concessions provided to
people of other countries for access to New Zealand.
And we're saying, I made this point to Prime
Minister Bolger, that I think that there is a lot of
value in, if we are talking about closer economic
relations between Australia and New Zealand, this
must go to services as well as goods.
. Ad one of the most basic services is transportation
of people, obviously. And the more that this can be
regarded as one market, the better, but ipso facto
means that we need to come to some agreements about
the way in which our migration processes are and how
they work. we're just saying that if New Zealand is
considering extending, in a concessional way, non
visa access to New Zealand from other countries then
this would need to be viewed against the backdrop of
what I think would be a huge benefit of an
Australasian airline market.
J: Did Mr Bolger give any undertaking on the issue?
PM: No, but he took the issue on board, I'm sure.
J: Is this the first time this has been raised?
PM: I shouldn't think so. I think that Senator Collins
has probably raised this.
J: Is this an indication that New Zealand has been
moving slowly?
PM: I notice some report in today's Australian about how
this process has been moving slowly. It's gone more
distance in three months than it's gone in forty
years. If some of you had been around a bit longer
you'd know how long this paralysis has been there.
J: Will Australia yield at all with any of the visa
requirements?
PM: Not unless there is a proposal put to us which is
sensible and reasonable. But at this stage I don't
think any have. And we try to run a rational,
sensible, 1i-gigra-inA-policy, and if we were trying
to extend this for the purpose that I mention then
obviously we've got to get some agreement as to how
we extend it.
J: New Zealand has been aware of your concern about
this for some time, there has been a letter to Mr
Hand.
Pm: I don't know whether they have had this process in
hand, or in mind over time. It's not that long ago
it's February that the One Nation Statement was
made, and it was some time after that before we got
down to some of these issues. So, New Zealand is
entitled to consider this sensibly.
J: How did you feel when you saw the plethora of union
Jacks on the flags at the Forum?
PM?. I just make the point that I've made in Australia
that one can't claim to have a unique symbol of
oneself when others have the same symbol.
J: Has anyone raised the issue with you about what
you've had to say on th. flag?
PM: Yes, a couple have said to me that they were very
encouraged about what I had to say, and that this
has praood debato in their own countries about
their own constitutional arrangements, symbols,
standing, et cetera.
J: Did Rabuca give you any tips on setting up a
-Rpubl ic?
PM: I think he's interested in constitutional
government.
J: Can you say which leaders raised the issue of the
flag?
PM4: They're all entitled to their private remarks, I
think.
J: Radio New Zealand, Mr Kfeating, did Prime Minister
Bolger over-react by apologising to the Governor
General?
PM: Look, it's so trifling an issue that it's hardly
worthy of further comment.
J: On plutonium shipments, the Forum has expressed a
view-, what is your own bOpinion about that?
PM: I think that general international safe-guards are
important, particularly with these sorts of
commodities. And I think that Japan, who envisages
having the traffic in this, would be aware of the
concerns of Pacific Island countries, both directly,
communicated bilaterally, and also from the Forum.
And that's how it should be.
Now do you see this region fitting in with
Australia's push into Australasia?
PM: I've said before, and I said yesterday in my opening
remarks, that Australia will always reserve its
right to deal with issues in world forums and play a
role as appropriate, subject to subject, on the
world stage. But the focus of its attention will be
the region in which we live, the increasing focus.
This is true now of our trade, where nearly three
quarters of it, both imports and exports, are with
the Asia-Pacific area, and where we can be I think a
useful influence in this area of the world, and at
the same time give Australians a more secure place
in the region for themselves. And the various
things that Australia does in the Pacific, whether
they be, as you saw yesterday, the Pacific patrol
boat program, or the wharfs program here, or the
climate and sea monitoring programs, or whatever it
might be, I think we can play a useful role, and
that is above simply our bilateral aid arrangements
to various countries. And it's important that they
have an influence on us. So i think you'll see
Australia and Australian foreign policy directed
more expressly to the region, notwithstanding
obvious and genuine concerns and other issues in the
world context.
J: Are there concerns about Australia's relations~ hip
witJh Ja~ pan, as Australia has backed the Forum's
protest to Japan over its plan to ship plutonium?
PM: I don't think the Japanese will be unduly of fended
by press reports from Australia.
but a letter will be signed by the Forum Secretariat
including Australia.
PM: That's right, that's true.
J: How do other nations see Australia as a bully or
as a help?
PM: We're obviously not a bully. How could anyone
sustain the remark that we're a bully. That's a
gratuitous, I know that you don't mean it
gratuitously, but it is a gratuitous remark.
Australia looks for obviously no territorial gain in
its foreign policy. It has, I think, altruistic
objectives in its foreign and aid policies generally
and in the region, and I think its role has been
generally regarded well and appreciated by countries
of the Forum. Just as I was leaving, what delayed
me was Sir Robert Rex from Niue was making what was,
in a sense, his farewell speech, and he reflected
over forty years and said some complimentary things
about Australia and New Zealand in that context.
And I think that would be the general view. There
will always be some matters of difference, I'm quite
certain that some countries think that our treatment
of Papua New Guinean development aid is too
generous, and would prefer some of that to be spread
more widely across the Pacific. You'll find some of
those issues often given vent, but in term~ s of the
general standing of Australia, its motivation, and
thA gonri will tnw~ rds it, I think that's pretty
clear, and pretty much in Australia's favour.
J: we've had one of the closest relationships with
Japan. will you use it to take up the Forum's
protest with them?
Pm: You keep coming back to this like a song. There is
a statement there, and the statement is by the
Forum. it's not for Australia to bilaterally take
the matter up.
J: Some countries have raised it bilaterally, will we?
PM4: I don't think so. I wouldn't be certain of it, I'd
have to ask Senator Evans.
J: Are the resumption of military links with Fiji
immediate or contingent on the September meeting?
PM; No, as far as I'm concerned it's from here out. But
obviously the talks in September and October will
help round out cooperation between us.
J4. We've moved much further than New Zealand in this
relationship. Did you talk about that with Mr
Bolger?
PM: No. New Zealand is free to make its own mind up
about the issues, obviously, and it will.
J: Are you satisfied with the progress that Rabuka has
made?
PM: I think there is a real opportunity here for
improvement for the community of the Fijian people,
and I think there is a lot of good will on the part
of the Prime Minister towards that objective, and I
think it would be counterproductive for Australia to
maintain the position which we have previously held
in the circumstances of five years ago. OK? 7 Thank
you.
ends