1 EL: 4. Sep. 92 14: 1U No. U12 F. 011065
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISITER, THE HON PJ KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP, OUR LADY OF LEBANON SCHOOL, SYDNEY
4 SEPTEMBER 1992
E OE PROOF COPY
PM: I'll just say a couple of things to you, yesterday Dr Hewson said the people
of Australia were lazy. In the nine years that I was Treasurer of this country
trying to induce structural change and work place reform and what have
you, never ever was thc willingness of Australians to work cvcr callcd into
question, that never came to my mind that there was any sense of lack of
national energy. I think Dr Hewson owes the public of Australia an apology
for a smear that goes across the work force and the business community
alike that people arc lazy. Australians can do anything that aity other nation
can do, as thcy've proved, and I think the great strides of the 1980s and early
arc evidence of that, and his vicw that he should offend cvcry group in
the community and now thc community at largc by branding them lazy is I
think, unbccoming of him and he owes all of us, and particularly the
working mcn and women of this country, an apology.
J: Do we have to work harder though as a nation?
PM: We've got to organisc our investment and our products as we arc now,
towards the world markets, doing sensible and clever things and what you're
seeing here today, that is a secondary school, greater participation for kids,
young men, young women, these are thc things which will carry us along.
J: Mr Keating on -wheat, do you believe we do need as Dr lIewson suggests to
up the ante with the United Statcs?
TEL: 4. ep. 9 141 O-02.02/
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PM:. We've made clear our position to the United States administration and we
are now going to subject the administration to the rigours of the GATT.
process, but the notion that abuse or upping the ante so to speak can play
any sensible role is of course a nonsense. And not only that, Dr Hewson is
already attacking Japan which is our largest trading partner where we have a
huge trade surplus and where the trade story to Japan has been one of great
success for Australia. So a little bit of modcration in thought and language
would help.
J: ( inaudible)
PM: Wheat and aqricultural trade has been a matter which we've been arguing
about now for most of thc ' 80s. I succeeded in getting agriculture onto the
GATT agenda in 1986 and it's still being debated, it's coming to the end of
the round and that's what will matter most; knocking out subsidies
worldwide rather than responding to any one particular increase in
subsidies.
J: Is this catastrophic for our wheat farmers sales?
PM: We need to analyse it and see what markets they arc likely to be moving
into and how that will affect us.
J: Mr Keating, are you or the Labor Party embarrassed about the slanging
match between Whitlam and Hawke?
PM: I've got nothing to say about that, I was asked about that this morning.
J; are you embarrasscd?
PM: We're all grown people in this country, we can all say what we wish.
J: Just getting back to wheat, are you personally disappointed that Mr Bush
has done this and do you fear that he may have other surprises up his sleeve
in this clection year?
PM: I doubt it, but I can understand where it's come from. He was in the mid-
West in the wheat belt and he's made this what he thinks is a gesture. I think
that the best result here is for the United States to push through a conclusion
of the GATT round with the Europeans on agriculture and we see these
subsidies diminish. But I notice Dr Hewson talking about the alliance, I
don't know whether he thinks we should be dragging defence issues into
ILL: 3
this, I think it would be most unfortunate if that were his view. Earlier this
year I was in Lae and some of those places in Papua New Guinca where
American families left thousands of their boys behind dead on those
beaches and all Australians should consider this when we try to link the
defence relationship into trade matters. rHwon is very intemperate
these days as his remarks on Japan show, as his claim that Australians are
lazy shows, as hc's attacked renters, teachers, nurses just about every group
in the community and I think a little bit of restraint on his part wouldn't so
astray.
J: Are you expecting any improvement in the unemployment figures next
week?
PM: Wait and see next week. Thank you.
ENDS I4 L. LS: ep. 92 14: 10 No. 012 P. 06$/ 06