C)
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, BEAUFORT HOTEL, DARWIN, 6 SEPTEMBER 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: How do you feel about the bomb going off, are you going to take any
action?
PM: I condemn what the French have done in the strongest possible terms.
It is an act of stupidity. It is not something they need to do. Australia
has now arraigned the strongest set of sanctions we have ever
arraigned against any other democracy in our history. We have
suspended defence contracts. We have withdrawn the Ambassador.
We have taken this issue up at the United Nations. We have made an
impact in France and in Europe and, I think, this is reacting now
against the Government of France in France. So, these things, I think,
show the strength of our feeling here and the fact that the risk is the
proliferation risk. It isn't that the French don't have weapons that are
of high military grade. The risk for all of us is the proliferation of
nuclear weapons and that is what the French are devaluing.
J: Are you aware the New Zealanders have withdrawn their Ambassador
this morning?
PM: We withdrew our Ambassador a month ago to register our protest.
But, we now want an Ambassador to make that contact to express our
disaffection and also to be there when Minister Bilney leads the
delegation there. Now is the time we want contact, basically, to hop
into the French.
J: How do you feel all this time, all this effort, to no avail?
PM: France is an independent country and they can make the decisions,
but they are now wearing the admonition of people around the world
including Australia.
J: What sort of a response can you outline now, what can you do now,
what is the next step?
2
PM: We are continuing to proselytise on the issue. As you know I have
had a substantial amount of press in France. The Foreign Minister
has had. Mr Bilney is going with a delegation. We have already had
oie led by Gareth Evans and this is putting pressure on the French
and President Chirac has given some indication now to reduce the
number of tests. Well, we want it reduced to zero.
J: So, his offer last night isn't good enough as far as you are concerned?
PM: They should abandon the tests. They should abandon the tests and
get on with the real problem, that is, how they contain the nuclear
threat in the non-nuclear nations.
ends