PM Transcripts

PRIME MINISTER 40/ 95
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP
" HONEST JOHN" AND THE GST
Today Mr Howard has said that the GST is no longer Coalition policy and will not be
" lat any time in the future". Yesterday he said that there was " no way" the Coalition
could have it as their policy for the next election, but " as to what happens some
years in the future, I don't want to.. you know, I don't know".
Today Mr Howard said that the OST is " completely off" the political agenda. Off the
agenda but not off his mind. Mr Howard said yesterday that " there's nothing wrong"
with the GST. And it wasn't the first time. In March this year he said it was " a
shame" that they couldn't have a GST but they wouldn't be " having a GST or
anything remotely resembling it for the next election". He wants it off the political
agenda because he knows Australians won't vote for it but he wants to do by
stealth what John Hewson failed to do by fanatical advocacy.
In fact, Mr Howard is trying to get to the election without anything " remotely
resembling" a policy at all. He is trying to make himself a very small target. That is
why anything which " remotely resembles" a policy is poison to Mr Howard. The
same goes for anything which " remotely resembles" leadership.
We have seen it with his role in the push polling and Hindmarsh Island affairs. Mr
Howard will not take a position of policy or principle until he is forced to then, as he
has always done, he dithers and dissembles. As with the republic, so with the GST
" as to what happens some years in the future, I don't want . you know, I don't
know". Three months have passed since Mr Howard promised " headland speeches" which
he said would define his position " with greater clarity." But the only thing which has
become clearer is that John Howard has not changed a bit. Watch the polls and
adjust the rhetoric and make " people feel comfortable", to use his own words. This
is the attempt at a new electorally acceptable John Howard, but all the time he's
playing footsie with his old reactionary friends and the GST.
" I don't want to. . you know, I don't know", he says. He doesn't want to talk about it.
He doesn't want the Australian people to know what he thinks. He doesn't want
anyone to know what he intends.
CANBERRA 2 May 1995