TEL: 16. Nov. 92 13: 10 No. 013 P. 01/ 03
PRIMIE MINISTER
TRANSRIPT OF THE PRIME MIISUKIM'HEON'I1* J KEATING MP,
DOORSTOP, BUNDABERGi 10 NOVEMBER 192
IAOE PROO) F COPY
J. Primc Mini tr, today was to be tho day, iA it to bc today?
P) M: One of you asked earlier if rve got any plans to se Mr Hayden today in Brisbane
no I haven f m goilng to ftY rom here to Western Australia. So those vents will
take care of themselves.
J: Therell be no election this year?
PM: Th is is about Lh laL day you 4; ouhl do ii tbi year.
1: Why not go now, Frinte inister, the pqIl arc gulting better cash day and each day
there are new interest groups jumping al over the OST?
PM: The GST is a Very ugty policy, there's no doubt about that, and I think that people
now rcase ftl what the Ubra maiteted as a plan for Australiais not a plan at
all it's a second-grade tax switch which makes ordinaty people pay ft iax and the
bonefits go basically to hir income groups and to companies. And the other paut
of thcir policy, industrial rlations, is basically to ty to take away from people
thngs which they've put together over a ventuy Without negotiation. So thcre's not
much there for the public with the iboal Party, and I think that's becomin
apparet now. But all ihe gune, Mat can always be better understood and I think
that peoplo are only jusi staning to undmrstand about the GST, and the longcr from
our point of Niew the beter, and the Parliament of course can run to just about the
middle of next year.
3: Thc unerploo) ment figura rcelesed at te cnd of last wcek is not part of your
thoughts on that?
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pM-We've had IlI plus numbers eauter in the year and I thik thiat People know tha
therV is now employment Srowth but woi1lbrco growth is bigger them ate nun
people joining the worltforce tha there ame new jobs bein crcaw-d, although we
had 26,000 job stowth lost moth, vWhich was quite wton&. It's going to iakv a
while: to get unemploymecnt down but wo can only do it by getting growth, & W
& pint I want to see the fica impact of the stimultoy spendin we~ Ve dons in the
Budget and the One Nationi package actually bea its fruit in the economy,
J Are you going to wait for unvmployment to drop somu?
F'M: No, it's noi a natur or wailing the Paiiiament rns out in the middle of ncxt yar
anyway, so it's not waiting for the rest of us. But agAhn, the longer the stirmulus has
to work thu bottr
J: So youl have more time to nako tiic coalition hurt over GST?
PM: I think the longer it goe people betner understand the limitations. What have the
Mberals got? They'v got a second quality tax switch from income to expenditure
with a lot of peoplo getting hurt on the way Lhrou6jh, and thcyVe got a savage
industrial relations policy which knock benefits off people. This is not the way
Australia iihould go, it should go cooperatively, it should go with buuinvn and its
workforec working together, as we're vA4in now under these enterprise agreements
r* Mh across the country. That's the wisy to go. The American people have just
voted 180 million of theM for the same sont of policy a policy of inclusion, a
policy of keeping a country together, not splittiog it up and creatinig ufld-r-1Jasmm.
So therefore, I thin the m~ ore that becomes ajpprent the better for us.
3: With the polls going your way and the eroding of that support group of Hcwson
and the Coalition, did you & Mvto day any thought at all for an election this yea,
and how sotiousky wo it*? I
PM: Thcre's so much in thu public debate that of course thes thkng-got thought about.
But again, in tis system the Prime Minster has the option of deding the
termination of the Parliament, and thorethre If*$ something that one should in ti
job kc-ep under notice. But my view is that the greater opportunity the ecnomy is
given to grow the better, and the longer people get a rchance to size up the Liberal
Party's, whai I t* i are, indequate policies the better for us.
1: You'vospvken to as uane growem'exoitlivc in lbuuudabrg this mnorning. aniy good
now'. Qt announoerncnts for tho supr industry?
PM: I found it very intcrcstig and thcrc is always, again, the valuc of discusion and
cooperation. Trying to govern by preom relasc from, Parliament House like the
Liberal Party is now doing in Vietra or Mr Howard and Dr Hewson would do in
Canberra, ih not the way to go. You do learn things by Ltg to people, you do
get a better perspectivo. Now rm much better informed about this industry and
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what worries peoplo than I was two huw ago. An you k~ now, Brian Counzco is
heading up a task force to rport to the Gowmrnent about the sugar industry. I
didn't tink that one could just r~ eivo that without having ionie feel of the indwtzy
mywscW So rye bwn very grateful for the opportunity. For those cawa-growcn
who havv come along this morning, apprciatd their point of view, and the
fact that theyVc put ft luidly, And 11nnotionally, just put it in a very dispassionat
way which~ I think Is very uatW.
1; Docs that mean the Taskorce Repo. 9 will got a favourable hcaring?
PM: It mcanx at leaat whecnever Drian Loves it to uw, i going to mean more, well be
able to decipher a lot of the things in it that I'm sure otherwise would
straight over our shouldcr. It's given me a fbel of the industry, Ne hadl aswoiAtion.
with some rural industies and Nov always kept a feel of tho land and tho
winaytidz; nffal Industry, but this hima givion mc a Cood opportunity with sugar.
3. Wero yout ablo to givc thorm any indiration on what you'll be doing in as far' as
-tariff. go?
PM: No, Weause I think that shoulid proport be left for consideration of the report by
the Govrnent. But ther's no doubt that the industry doesi we tariffs as
important, not just for defiecting imports but also In a dufacto price support for
sales in the doniest Industry. At 1his stage7 it probably means more ini that sense
than the ddeflcton of imnpots.
WlNs 4 au cane-gxowcr xpwi sorn sort of decision on this mnatter?
PM: Brian is going to rcport quit son hopefully before Cluisrnjas.
3: Sa before the next election?
PM%. Certainly.
3: u. t ono other mAticr, rrinic Mirtister., any weddig wish or message for Timi
Fischer today?
PM: I10" n Tim planned his wedding around what he thought were election dates. I
wish him the besbt. Ive met his fiancee and she's a very nicc Pesn I hope they
have a vwy happy arariage.
1: So I gucss he can go away and enijoy hiis honeyrrioun then?
PM: Yes, I don't wish him well politically, but I do wish him well personally, he's a vay
nice chap.
ends