PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J.
KEATING, MP
WOMEN, POWER AND THE 21ST CENTURY CONFERENCE, MELBOURNE
FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER, 1" 3
J: Prime Minister, the Issue of the day do you believe you will manage to
make peace with Malaysia having written to Dr Mahathir overnight and
Indeed, have you heard anything back from him?
PM: No, I haven't. I have written to Dr Mahathir, and that and what we have
said, I think, Is to say enough about the Issue now to we can get on with
the rest of the business of the oountry Which Is Important, And, I noticed
today that a bit of real news did squeeze Its way on to the front page of
the Australian press A rarity I know but there It was, OGATT, the final
historic chapter', and, of course the G3ATT moans so much to Australia.
And, also, oJob ads soa as recovery gathers pace". So, we are starting
to see the economy start to pick up. We're starting to see the response In
the job vacancies and job ads. wo've had 70,000 employment growth over
the past two months. Arid that and the environment where we are on the
precipice now, on the cusp of making a Very large International change In
the General Agreement an Tariffs and Trade, the GATT, which promises
to set the world up for a period of growth which would be unprecedented
given the range of the Wsues under discussion.
So, these are very good portenlts for the country and that, coupled with
APLO a meeting We've just completed which Is an Asia-Pacific
area organisation to look at growth, trade and Investment, these things, I
think, augur well for the country...., particularly for 1994 as we start to see
the recovery here gather pace.
J: Prime Minister, are you saying that the Malaysia row wasn't news?
-2-
PM: Well, It's certainly not news as this Is news. I mean, Australia has had a
recession, we've now been out of it for about nine quarters, I think, from
memory and we're starting to see It gather some real strength. We saw it
In the national accounts the other day, the economy Is now growing at
about three and a quarter percent as fast as any In the western world.
And, of course, we're being tugged along by growth In the Asla-Pacific
area which Is growing faster than the OECD. So, these are the real
Issues, I think.
J: Do you think relations are smoothed over enough... Inaudible...?
PM: Well, I've said all I think I need to say about It.
J: Prime Minister, on GATT, do you support the principle of last minute
concessions to France to clinch a deal?
PM: If there are elements of the current, draft final Act which, In their
application, don't actually tear away at the structure but which would make
this more palatable to get a general agreement, then I think that's worth
considering. But, that doesn't mean wholesale changes to the Blair
House Accord or substantial changes to It.
J; It seems that the base Is being moved that the base from which
GATTs agreement on agricultural products will be a lot softer than
originally planned. Does that matter?
PM: No, that's not apparent at this stage, I don't think. The United States has
held pretty firm. The BSair House Accord is an accord between the
European Community and the United States Government and the United
States has held very firmly to that The fact that It was negotiated by a
previous French administration Is, In a sense, beside the point. Now, no
doubt the French are trying to find wriggle room in their domestic society
on this and that we understand. That's what negotiation Is all about. But
let's hope everybody sees the opportunity of extending the Kennedy
Round In the sixties on a general agreement on goods, to Intellectual
property rights, to services and to agriculture. Because, to do that when
these very large societies are re-emerging In the world economy really,
for the first time since In the case of Russia, the first world war and in
the case of China the second world war to see these large nations
returning to the world economy with the cold war now finished, we need a
good backdrop In rules on trade to really kick the world along and GATT Is
the name of that.
-3-J: Have you discussed with either Joan Ki( rner or Carmen Lawrence your
desire to see them in Federal Pariament?
PM: Well, I have at odd times discused It with both Of them but for various
reasons they have seen fit to Stay In the Jurisdictions they are In, In the
states. But, there Is no doubt that we need more women In the federal
parliament. We need more women of their calibre In the federal
parliament and the more reprsenlative the palament is of the Australian
community, the better the parliament will be. it's under-represented now,
with women and It needs to have a higher representation amongst
women.
j Your job's cut out for you though Isn't it? Even hero In Victoria the new
leader, Mr Brumby has been trying to Implement strategies and
procedures for Increasing the number of women and been rolled by the
factions.
PM: Well, I canst attest, cheek by jowl, of all the factional movements In
Victoria but I think the big principle Is the Australian Labor Party Is
genuinely Interested in the affairs of Australian women, we appreciated
their support at the last election, we have done many, many things to
Improve the lot of Austrailan women. More recently, with the generalised
child care rebate and the home child care allowance, on top of many other
things which we've done In the I 960s which I reconted this morning.
And I think it Is that notion that Labo Is the party which cares most, I
believe, In a practical way about women and women's Issues, that we
reaily need to reinforce tt wfth a higher representation of women In our
parliamentary parties. So, this has got to be a state of mind thing In the
Labor Party and Its got to be a state of mind thing In our national politics.
And, I think, the state of mind thing matters more than any sort of factional
arrangement about whio should get what, where. Rather, the state of
mind that women must be a larger part of the national body poitic.
J: Prime Minister, can we expect to se more women In Cabinet before the
next election and would you expect to see more women in Cabinet If you
win the next elction, afterwards.
PIM: Well, I'd like to see more women In Cabinet. It's a matter of, again, finding
the opportunities and seeing the portfolios that particuiar people can hold
or wouid do Justice to. Bu, part of that IS to lift the general stock, the
numbers and we just don't have that there now. That Is. there just aren't
enough women In the federal Labor Party and therefore, It you like, the
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-4-area from which ministers are drawn is just not as large as It would
otherwise be. Lets hope that Improves after the next election.
J: Is this concept of half by 2000 realltic under those circumstances?
PM: Well, I think it's a good objective ana It gets the focus on the issue and I
think that... I mean, lets make the simple point; the more the parliament
is representative of the general population, the better off It will be.
Therefore, the more women that are In parliament, the better, generally,
will the nation's policies be.
Ends.