TEL: W'a-. 9414-11 ! 4O. UID r. Vi'u'i
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTERo THE HON P J KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP, ADELAIDE, 8 MARCH 1994
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Prime Minister, how do you feel about the festival withdrawing your
Invitation for security reasons?
PM: Well, I mean I'm not sure whether this is a pressing national issue. I
think this by-election Is an Important by-election for the country. It is
important for the Government We have got now a major economic
recovery underway, we are seeing employment growth pick up. We
have a first class candidate in Martyn Evans, who actually even lives in
the electorate. I mean, how old fashioned that is, that we should
actually be fielding a candidate who lives in the place he is
representing.
J: But have you the Greek community to a larger extent?
PM: Just one second. And as a consequence we will be sending to
Canberra, I expect, the people of Bonytrion to be sending to Canberra
someone who will fill the shoes of someone of the calibre of Neal
Blewett who presided over a transformation of Australia's health and
social security policies, and in Martyn Evans we have someone of that
calibre. And I think that is the real issue, that is, that the Government,
the general policies of social democracy which the Government has
fostered, and of economic recovery, will be recognised in the byelection
by the people of Bonython sending such a candidate. Now
these other Issues such asGreek fe stivals and the rest, I am not able
to go, and Senator Bolkus normally attends in my place, often in
functions like this, and he may well attend on this occasion as well.
J: But given the reaction to your recognition of Macedonia do you think
may be the Government has been a bit premature?
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PM:. Well the United States recognised the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the Government of Greece sponsored -the United Nationsmembership
of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. So, if the
Government of Greece can sponsor its membership, it's, I think,
drawing a long bow to say that Australia can't even recognise its
existence.
J: How concerned are you about the response, the emotional and at
times violence from the Greek community?
PM: Well, I think there is a cause for maturity in these things. I mean, there
has been, as a consequence of actions Australia tooK, this State is no
longer describing itself as the Republic of Macedonia, but rather as a
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia a result of actions Australia
and others took. It's this constitution to deny a territorial claims to
parts of Greece. We have made clear that the symbols and
representations of this State, such as the star of Vergina for which
there is a strong feeling in Greece, should be respected. I mean,
these are express and obvious consequences of Australia's policy.
The policies produced, I think, a real change in these issues, if you
like, for those who identify with the interests of Greece. But, when 59
countries all of western Europe, the United States recognises this
state, when Greece itself sponsors its entry into the United Nations -I
think, it is a time for some maturity on the part of Australians of Greek
decent to understand that this government has acted in a way which
has advanced what they see to be their interests.
J: Mr Keating, how do you see the latest Liberal leadership wrangles
affecting the by-election here?
PM: I think nothing I say or do will change the propensity of the Liberal
party to keep hacking itself to pieces. The reason is, they have no
idea about where they stand in Australian society. They don't know
what they represent or who they represent. And now you have got
John Howson in the last day or so, using a word which I have used all
through 1992 and we've used all through the 1980s that is, the word
' inclusion' saying that Australians are entitled to live in a -society
where everyone has a piece of it; where the growth and prosperity is
shared by all including minorities. Well, Dr Howson discovered this
last week and now he is trying to paint himself as a sort of moderate,
small Liberal which would almost make a cat laugh.
Mr Howard on the other hand, is working flat out on turning the clock
back. He is out there, he has got the clock and he has wound us back,
at this stage probably about 14 years, and he is still winding to see if
he can actually get us back to the 1 950s and then he would be very,
very happy indeed. So, this once great party has ended up in this
state. TEL:
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J: One of the issues that the Liberals are split on is income splitting.
Where do you stand on that?
PM: Income splitting diminishes tax for husbands but doesn't give the
money to wives. What the government has done over the years is to
make sure that there are payments that actually are paid to women's
bank accounts. The Home Child Care Allowance which I introduced in
the last election and which we have now introduced into the
Parliament, into law it pays money into the bank account of the
partner at home generally the wife. Now, these are things, I think,
Australian women appreciate a degree of independence they
wouldn't otherwise have.
J: On the question of a Medicare levy does that have your full support?
And is it a bad time to be perhaps looking at something like this when
you've got two crucial by-elections in a bit over a week?
PM: There are no policy proposals around in the government that warrants
an increase in the Medicare levy. Nothing I have seen.
J: Are you ruling it out?
PM: And there is no case on the part of any Minister coming before the
Cabinet to rule it In.
J: So, in other words it's off the books, it is not going to happen?
PM: There will not be changes of the variety that have been discussed in
the newspapers, speculatively I might say, which would lead to such
an increase.
J What about a jobs levy. The Treasurer has said that it is still broadly
on the edge of the table of the Finance Minister do you think it is on
the table at all?
PM: The jobs levy remains an option, but again, the government would like
to finance this change in the labour market. That is, to deal with the
long-term unemployed without resort to a levy. I think, most of us think
that Is possible.
J: So the growth forecasts will enable that? Are you going to rely on the
recovery to pull you out of it?
PM: The economy is growing much more rapidly than people expect it and
through the year growth next year will be something in the order of four
per cent faster, I think, than anything in the OECD or the western
world. This will produce an increase in revenues as every such
recovery always does.
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J: Getting back to the by-election, you mentioned that Martyn Evans is a
high quality candidate. There's a bit of concern within the South
Australian Labor party that it is losing some of its best talent, you are
not concerned that the Federal party is bleeding the State party dry in
that regard?
PM:-One thing about it, they are a community based party. When someone
leaves, someone generally fills their shoes and I think that it is a tribute
to the Labor party in South Australia that it has sent so many high
calibre people to the Commonwealth parliament and the
consequences are obvious in the social economic policies of the
government.
J; Do you see the Ros Kelly affair affecting this by-election?
PM: I don't think so. These things blow over in a few days and the real
issues, as always, it is always the weight rather than the flim-flam and
fairy floss that matters. And even if it often doesn't matter to the
media, it does matter to the public and I think they weigh things
accordingly.
ends