TEL 20. Jul. 94 17: 51 No. 015 P. 01/ 08
L PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP, KAMORUNGA ENVIRONMENTAL PARK, CAIRNS,
WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY 1994
E& QE PROOF COPY
J. Prime Minister can I ask you, first you were approached by the
gentleman on the way in and he discussed Sky Rail with you, do you
see that as a bit of a contradiction in terms to be planting trees on the
one hand and, as they say, pulling them down on the other.
PM; We are working on a bigger front than that. I mean, the declaration of
the world heritage area was, I think, a huge leap forward for North
Queensland and the Commonwealth, of course, committed, I was the
Treasurer at the time, we committed the better part of $ 90 million to it
and established adjustment schemes for those who were formerly
employed there. And what I am doing today is announcing the further
development of those adjustment schemes where we've taken forestry
workers and put them into re-establishment of forests and
rehabilitation of forests. So i think, you know, one has got to look at
the big gestures because they are the ones that matter and as far as
the specific projects go, I think Senator Faulkner is coming up anyway
in a week or two's time and he can debate that then.
J: Mr Keating, can you tell us why so long between official visits here to
Cairns?
PM: I have been here three times this year.
J: But they were private visits though..
PM: They are all the same when you drive through, whether it is public or
private, they are all the same. I was here, I had a long inspection of
thDe ~ ireo about a year ago and as a result of that the
Commonwealth Government has now committed with Queensland
million to buy back the hole in the heart on the other side of the
Daintree river and to try and repair the damage done by the Bjelke
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Petersen government in that disgraceful development on the other
side of the river. So that came from my last unofficial visit. So I do
things here officially and unofficially.
J: ( John O'Farrell) Your concern about the development of Cairns the
last time you were up here.
PM: I haven't seen you for years, how are you going?
JO'F: Long time.
J: You thought he was dead didn't you?
PM; No, he's too smart for that.
JO'F: Since then there have been major developments either started or
announced, is this getting worse. Is Cairns getting as bad as the Gold
Coast, is that the way it's headed?
PM: Well I don't think so. I think that I'm very encouraged by what I see as
a renewed interest, you know, a more mature interest in the
management of our heritage areas and the understanding that to
preserve the heritage is not only intrinsically important, important in its
own right, but because the region has such huge tourist potential that
everything that then is done in the built environment as well as in the
natural environment becomes important. There is a point of harmony
between the two and I think people are getting to that and what we are
seeing here today is a further example of that.
J: What about change to the city itself though, I mean you had some
harsh words about development in Cairns, that it was looking like
another Gold Coast.
PM: And I think people take some notice of those sorts of views and maybe
change their attitudes a little. I'm optimistic that I think that Cairns can
grow through another phase of economic growth. Just remember this,
the Federal Government has got the economy growing at 5 per cent at
the moment. The Australian economy is growing faster than any
economy in the Western world. One per cent inflation, 5 per cent
growth and 3 per cent employment growth. Now that sort of growth will
bring its development pressures with it and, I think, you know, a
municipal government has got to be alert to that and say right there is
going to be another phase of development how do we handle it.
J: Those factors for growth, do they include low interest rates and loans
for houses?
PM: Well they include the maintenance of low inflation principally, and -the
fact that the country is now imeasurably more competitive. I mean,
Australians have done a lot to produce their own cornucopia of growth
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and opportunity and one of the points I always make about my
opponents, they are always trying to sort of cruel the pitch. They are
now trying to say the recovery is too strong: " too good, too good, the
recovery is too good. We might have to have higher interest rates in
there shocking." What we have got to do is preserve the recovery and
preserve low inflation and that is, I think, going to be important to all of
us. And it is going to be no less important here in Cairns where I think
there is tremendous potential. For a start, there is a shift of population
to Queensland and beyond that, of course, the carriage of very large
visiting communities of tourists. And we want to do that and do it well
and still preserve the best of what we have.
J: Ralph Willis said this morning that the sale of the FAC is very
important to the success of the Budget, do you agree with that?
PM: Well I got asked about that down in Townsville.
J: Does it worry you, the way, that the Coalition is targeting the seat of
Leichhardt the number of senators and opposition spokesmen they are
sending up here?
PMV: Well they can do their best, but basically it is the Commonwealth
Labor Government that put international tourism on the map. I mean,
the growth in the prosperity of Northem... Queensland was there
because of the Commonwealth Labor Governmnt. iI It was there from
the early 1 980s and it is now being helped by a sensible State Labor
Government who we work together with very well, I mean, Mr Downer
is out there in the Financial Review saying today: " I won't be giving
detailed policies, they are saying we won't be giving detailed policies,",
where a month ago he was saying the public are entitled to some
detail about policies. They want to be in the debate, these characters,
without any policy. And, at the same time, trying to claim from you that
which a real government has put into place over ten years. That is,
you know, this area has been completely changed for the better
because of the policies of the national government.
J: Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns are all part of the itinerary, Prime
Minister, everywhere that you have gone, protests, are you happy with
the welcome you have received?
PM: Oh, absolutely. It's an amazing reception. I had 1,100 kids turned up
to have a general talk down at one of the principal schools on the
itinerary and I really enjoyed that, I mean, I think particularly year 11
and 12 students, they are as sharp as tacks, they are a tough
audience. And I really enjoyed a chance to talk to them. I met another
very large community group in Rockhampton, I got a wonderful
reception. I had a tremendous civic reception last evening in
Townsville and then a bumper party function in the evening and I have
had the same sort of general goodwill here in Cairns. So I couldn't be
happier. I mean, you will always get the odd person with a placard
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about this or about that. You know, it will be Hinchenbrook(?) Island
or it will be something else. But I mean, look at the big mass of
people, how they respond and the answer is very well.
J: Well the issues up here like this Sky Rail and the Hinchinbrook issue
you just mentioned there, environment issues. How important is the
environment generally going to be at the next election?
PM: Well I think it is going to be important and I think the Labor Party is
going to be the best at it. Because we are the only ones that care
about it. I mean, here we are in the national Budget just a month or
two ago, announcing the fact that we are going to buy back the land in
the hole in the heart which was, I think, disgracefully developed and
sold in the 1970s and 80s and these sort of, if you like, broad ticket
issues in the environment are the ones that matter.
ENDS