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PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP AT THE McARTHUR RIVER MINE, NORTHERN TERRITORY, 6
SEPTEMBER 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Mr Keating, what will the Australian Government be saying to the
French Ambassador regarding the test?
PM: We will be saying that we are outraged by the fact the French have
decided to detonate this bomb, that this is a mindless decision, that it is
unnecessary, that the risks for everybody is the proliferation risk, the
risk for France is not that it doesn't have a comptent weapon, but rather
that other non-nuclear states develop weapons. We have already
undertaken a series of sanctions, the strongest by Australia against any
other democracy. We have cancelled defence contracts, we have
withdrawn our Ambassador, we have protested directly to the French
Government, we are taking the matter to the United Nations. Australia
has led the opposition to France in the world. This has made a
difference I think to the French opinion at home. It has certainly made a
difference to European opinion and it is this pressure which, I think,
President Chirac is now feeling.
J: Do you think the French Government really cares that Australia is
outraged?
PM: It cares and it is understood that, I think, we have hurt them in doing
this. But understand, this is against the Government of France, not the
people of France. It is not their decision, it is President Chiracs
decision and we have made it clear to President Chirac and his
Government as I think we are changing opinion in Europe too that
other European states, whose opinions they care about mightily, are
now making their views felt, such as in the European Parliament and
other places.
J: Will you expel the French Ambassador, Mr Keating?
PM: No, we want the contact to be able to register, to keep the linkages.
That is what you do in these things. You express your anger, your
outrage, but you try and get a better outcome.
J: Mr Keating, what is the possibility of extra uranium sales confirmed?
PM: Well uranium sales to France are not an issue in this, they are not an
issue in this anymore than sales of other things to France are by
Australia.
J: Mr Keating, do you think the French now may reduce the number of
tests, or do you think this is going to..
PM: They may do under the weight of international pressure, but I am very
pleased about the fact that Australia has led that. That we have made
the difference in what, I think, the French Government thought was an
easy decision to take.
J: You have taken a lot of action until now, is there anymore you can
take?
PM: Well they are fairly strong actions we have cancelled defence
contracts, at the time we withdraw our Ambassador, we have led
delegations there and Minister Bilney will be leading another one
shortly to continue the campaign that we have waged to date.
J: Tim Fischer says that the Federal Government reaction hasn't been
strong enough, that you should expel the French Ambassador.
PM: Well it has been so strong as to affect French public opinion and I think
affect the view of the French Presidency. That is pretty strong.
J: But it hasn't been strong enough to stop them testing. They didn't even
delay their start?
PM: Well they are a democracy and they can make their own decisions.
Mururoa is not part of Australia, it is a French territory. But I think
because it is a democracy, we are more outraged. If this was a
totalitarian regime, you could perhaps understand how public opinion
and international opinion has been bypassed, but what really gets up
our nose is that this is a democracy and it is a democracy we have
fought for.
J: Mr Keating, can you tell me your thoughts this morning when you heard
the bomb had been detonated?
PM: Well one of anger and one of extreme disappointment about the fact
that France does not understand that the real risk for the world is for
smaller states to acquire nuclear weapons and that they have a vested
interest, as we all have, in stopping that happen.
ends