7
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, TULLY STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL, TOWNSVILLE,
WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY 1994
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Prime Minister, I believe you've been confronted by people about the
Hinchinbrook development. Are you sympathetic to their concerns?
PM: Well, the Commonwealth has now a very long history of environmental
concern for Far North Queensland. You know, most obviously with the
Reef, the Daintree rainforest, we've now got a review going in
Shoalwater Bay and I had the pleasure this morning of launching the
strategic plan fo'r the Reef which, of course, goes to questions such as
development which effects us. So, Commonwealth interest in this is
pretty manifest, pretty profound.
J: environmental impact study on..
PM: Well, again, there are processes for considering these things and we'll
give it appropriate it will have due process attached to it. That is, if
there is a heritage issue here in terms of the World Heritage area and
where the Commonwealth needs to make a decision, well then a
process will ensue in the normal course of events it's not a
Commonwealth matter.
J: How long will it take to get some answer..
PM: I don't know, but I mean, again, the Commonwealth is only involved
here on the basis that if there is in some way an area of the heritage
area in which some authority by the Commonwealth is necessary
which would bring the Commonwealth into it. I mean, because the
Commonwealth has got such a great environmental record, every
environmental issue that becomes a problem around Australia,
everyone says ' oh, what can the Commonwealth government do for
Well, the answer is we will do where it is appropriate for us to
do.
J: Changing tact on the Federal Airports Corporation, a lot has been said
and written, but very little from yourself. I mean, what is the situation
with the airports, are they going to be sold?
PM: Well, they are in the Budget over the next few years that we will sell
the Authority or those assets which we deem are better serviced by
private ownership. But, again, this will be a process. This is not going
to happen immediately, it will happen over time.
J: But is it shaping up as a battle at Federal Conference. You've got the
Left unions lining up.
PM: At every Federal Conference, there's always got to be one or two
issues that people jockey around. It's part of the sport of it all.
J: Can you tell me Prime Minister, when a decision will be made on the
troops going to Rwanda?
PM: We've sent a team to Rwanda to look at the position and see whether
any plan by the United Nations is feasible and one which is safe for
Australian service people and when we get that report we'll make a
judgement about it.
J: When do you envisage getting that?
PM: It can't be far away.
J: What sort of a role would you anticipate for the troops there?
PM: Well, again, I'll have to see what comes back. If it's a role in protecting
humanitarian efforts, well, it is has to be a well defined, clearly
articulated one by the UN and we would then consider that seriously.
J: There is concern that the Rural Adjustment Scheme won't meet the
drought relief needs of the northc-s more money forthcoming?
PM: Well, I notice the National party running around saying I should be
standing in a paddock in some ' drought affected area see, they are
all show and no substance. I mean, the substance here is is drought
a recurring issue in Australia? And the answer is that it is. And,
therefore, how should we treat it? Well, the Government's view is it
should be treated under the Rural Adjustment Scheme programs
rather than, say, natural disasters' relief because it is not an
intermittent disaster. This is coming now quite regularly with climate
change effects.
J: The drought we have in Central Queensland at the moment isn't
regular. It is the worst in history, there's never been one like it.
PM: I know, but there was one the year before that and one the year
before. I mean, drought is around now in Australia all the time so,
we've said let's try and cover this as a normal recurrence of rural life
and use the Rural Adjustment Scheme to manage it. Now, my
colleague Senator Collins has made clear that we are now going to
review the RAS scheme so that it can adequately deal with the
problems of drought and so that there is rural recourse by the farm
community to assistance there. That, I think, is what we should do
keep the review on the situation and announce a change to the RAS
arrangements between the Commonwealth and the States that actually
does fit the bill.
J: The State governments are saying that the Rural Adjustment Scheme
doesn't address core debt that builds up over the years.
PM: Well, it depends what interest rate it services. I mean, RAS, I think,
from memory can involve subsidies of up to 100 per cent of the interest
rate cost, so effectively it's carrying costs are being met and its real
value declines over time.
J: Prime Minister, the State government this week has appealed to the
Commonwealth for some extra drought assistance. Is that likely to be
met?
PM: We do things systemically. I mean, that's the way if you want
assistance from the Commonwealth it's got to be part of a systemic
program and, I think again, I'm repeating myself, but I think that's
where RAS comes in. But having National party politicians wandering
around drought affected areas, crying crocodile tears about them is not
going to help people. What's going to help is a proper program, well
funded, that actually works.
J: But, producers are saying similar things too. Are they crying crocodile
tears?
PM: No, no, producers are effected, producers have got a genuine interest
in this and, of course, they will be treated genuinely.
J: So, you see no need for you to visit drought affected areas?
PM: No, I've been in drought affected areas all through my political life. I
understand what there are drought affected areas perpetually in
Australia. Now, I can go and visit them and see them and say ' yes,
this is a problem', but what do you do about it? The answer is a
systemic response.
J: On the broader environment, last month John Faulkner sent out a
broad response to issues like setting aside Tasmanian forests
biQdiversity, export wood chip licence controls. Given the criticisni of
that, do you support the thrust and aims ofJohn Faulkner's statement?
PM: Well, we operate as a Cabinet and we develop, over time, forestry
management plans with Tasmania and with New South Wales in
particular, and we adjust these from time to time. Now, we have a
policy on wood chips, we want to get to higher levels of processing
and value added and we've put a requirement on companies in the
industry to do this by a certain time. That is the general direction we
are going in.
J: Prime Minister, the social justice package. Can you tell me when that
is going to be implemented?
PM: Well, I think you had better decode that one. Which particular variant
do you mean?
J: The social justice package itself Mabo?
PM: Well, there isn't a social justice package itself. I mean, there is a Land
fund, which essentially , Mabo is about land. It is not a catcti all
policy for an unlimited amount of funds for so-called social justice
measures. It is about justice for Aboriginal people in their access to
land particularly those who have been dispossessed of land and can't
avail themselves of land under Mabo. Now, we have got the Land
Fund legislation, I introduced it into the Parliament about two and a
half weeks ago and that will lay on the table of both Houses of
Parliament and be debated in the spring session of the Parliament. I
am confident that it will pass notwithstanding the miserable opposition
of the Liberal and National parties to it. Now, when it does pass that
will be a great leap forward for social justice for Aboriginal people in
this country because they'll have access to land via Mabo where they
can make traditional connections to the land and where that
traditional connection can't be made, owing to their dispossession,
they can avail themselves of land under the land package.
Now, beyond that, there may be some other issues which the
Commonwealth may involve itself in in respect of social justice or
heritage issues for Aboriginal people, but that's down the track.
J: Just going back to privatisation, Brian Howe is skating on thin ice with
the comments..
PM: Well, he has made his comments in the context of the Cabinet's
decision to do these things.
ends.