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PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF TIlE PRIME MINISTER THE liON P J KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP HMAS MELBOURNE
29 SEPTEMBER 1992
E& OE PROOF ONLY
J: Prime Minister there are three days to go in this campaign, have you left the run a
bit late to campaign here?
PM: I have been down here earlier, but the thing is the future is about Victoria and I
think what you are seeing here today at this dock yard, which I might say the
Premier has had a very large interest in, is part of the new manufacturing of
Australia. I have just had the Navy tell me that this ship is a no fault ship. That is
it has been delivered without faults, it's probably the cleanest new vessel of its type
handed over surpassing American built same-class ships which says a lot about
manufacturing industry and it is done with cooperation bctween Govcrnment and
private business in Australia. It has been built by AMECON, a private company,
but it has been done in partnership with the Governnent, with the trade unions,
with the community of Williamstown and the atmosphere in this yard. The pride
in this yard is what has produced this ship under time, on budget, and with quality
which surpascs anything you could compare it with.
J: Will that translate into votes for the Kirner Goveruncnt, Mr Keating?
PM: Well the thing is I think it Is a matter of whether you take that view of the world,
which the Premier takes, or whether you say, look we don't want a ship building.
yard we will just leave it to the open market, we will let the Americans have this.
So you let the market work, absolutely: knock off Williamstown, kick the people
out of the ship yard, let the Americans build the ships; that would be the view of
the liberal Party. Now it is not a view we accept and it is the same with motor
cars. As you know, I have been to the Toyota plant in the last week or so in Japan,
and with thc Premier 1 had the plcasure of officiating at the opening of the
construction phase of this plant, and I think it is thc difference between the Labor
Party which wants to bring the community with it to do good things for Australia,
good things for Victoria, as distinct from a Governnment and a Party which
basically believes in text book capitalism, which went out with straw hats.
J: Prime Minister that Mrs Kirner can not win this election?
PM; Well I think with every elcction you are in there with a chance right to the very
end.
J: You don't share the former Prime Minister's view?
I'm: No I don't. I think Joan hazs campaigned like a veteran in this and she has had a
hard road to hoe, it is hard governing States or any area of the country at times of
economic recession and with a difficult structural change going on as well, but the
changes which I think the Premier has been able to make in Victoria have becn
important in the long run for the public of Victoria and this is not less so than a
place like Williamstown.
So you believe shte has done thc hard work necessary to get back in on October 3?
PM: Well site has done the things within her power, that's the thing, and done it to the
bcst of her ability, and with style.
J: Primec Minister what abo~ ut Arvi Parbo's letter this morning, what's your attitude to
that?
PM: Well I think that he is making a point, that's fair enough. But I think probably Sir
AMv would be a little worried if policy changes in his area of industry were about
to wipe him out. You see it is all very well saying to the car companies, please be
relaxed as the Opposition contemplates working you out, pop your valium tablet,
be relaxcd as you go to the slaughter yard, I am sure they will take Arvi's advice
well, but probably won't accept it.
J: Prime Minister in 1990 you were saying that you were more prone to reductions in
tariffs then Senlator Button was, and yet now you seem to have changed
PM: No, no our line is totally consistent. That was the high tariffs, 253 per cent for
motor vehicles and these things couldn't obtain, the Australian people getting very
dear vehicles, the efficiencies of -the plants weren't there they had to come down.
But they can't come down to the point where they don't exist, it is a matter of
finding that nice balance and Siving industries time and giving themi consistency
and see the clear points made by Toyota, in the last week in Japan, is that they will
build and comnpete and export from Australia with a modest level of tariff, but they
can't do it with nothing.
J: Isn't it correct though that Australian manufacturers havc had two decades
virtually to prepare for reductions in tariffs and there productivity hasn't increased
markedly?
PM: T'hcy had a Mlug of a Government that left themi the way it left them with these
high tariffs. I mncan tariffs went up under the Liberals, under the Fraser
Government, which Dr Illewson was advising, It needs to be remembered that
during the Fraser years tariff protection actually went up, the was no
encouragement from a coalition Government to improve thc efficiency of
Australia and as usual it has always got to be done by us. But again what we do is
the thoughtful balanced thing, not the unthoughtful ideological thing.
J. Premier, call I just ask you, would you have liked to have seen more of Mr Keating
in this campaign?
JK: I always enjoy working with Mr Keating bul his visit to Japan was very important
because what it did was illustrate the difference between ourselves and the
Opposition, and showed quite clearly that if you want a Government that is
committed to the future of manufacturing industry and partnerships with unions
and the private sector then you vote for a Kimer Government or later you vote for
a Keating Government. You do not risk the recovery that is coming with Kennett
economics or Hewson economics.
is there a liability to him or vice versa?
JK: We'll I don't think that is our view, is it?
PM: I don't think that, in fact with a very difficult brief Joan has coped with it, not only
as valiantly as any leader could, but with a confidence which I think has piade life
much bectter in terms of attitudes in Victoria then would havc necessarily obtained.
J Will Labor's performancc here determinc when you go federally?
PM: We have got plenty of time to work that out. State elections arc State elections ill
the end, mostly they are fought on State issues, we will make our judgements
about things, I think that iii this country the public expects to get value from the
Parliaments and they expect them to run their course.
J: Is there a chance that you will. go before Christmas?
PM: Ask silly questions and you get silly answers.
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J: Premiecr would it surprise you to bear that in one rcent poll apparently thc gap
between LAbo~ r and the Coalition narrowed to 7.5 pcr cent?
JK: No it would not in certain seats. But really the poll that counts is on election day
and I think there is a lot of change taking place, when you get, though I don't think
channiel 9 or 7 cov'ered it really well yesterday, the Oppositions spokesperson on
the audit group, that is Mr Des Moore, saying he is going to take 25 000 jobs out
of thc public setor people realisc that there will be no fun or future in a Kennett
run ccononiy.
J: what your own polling says thc gap is?
JK: No I don't talk about polling at this interviews, you know that. But the real poll
that matters is Saturday.
PM: There's onc thing for sure there will be 25 000 public servants at least voting for
Mrs Kirner, they're the 25 000 that face the chop under Mr Moore. I have bad Mr
Moore, he ha-. worked for me, you sec he worked for me, so I know allI about Mr
Moore and I know all about the 25 000.
ENDS