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PRIME MINISTER1
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP AT " KINGAROQ", LOCK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
3 OCTOBER 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: What is the meaning of the Task Force Report?
PM: Well, I think the Task Force Report is part of the new thinking of
Australian agriculture. That is, how we build sustainability into
Australian agriculture, where we are not simply using up the sort of
natural endowments, and then running them down, but rather adding
to them, and keeping them there. And we can do this, I think, on two
main bases: one, that whole of farm planning, that's on the form
planning itself, and planning within the farm districts. And this is
where, I think, Landcare and the whole Landcare movement is
coming through. As well as looking at sustainability of agricultural
production on a regional district basis. So, some of this of course has
come from the aftermath of the drought, and I think this is a good
thing that perhaps the drought has reminded us that we have to move
to sustainability.
The other thing is that, of course, it keeps the farm family together,
and I think this is extremely important for Australian agriculture, that
the backbone of Australian agriculture remains intact, and that is the
nurturing that the land is given by Australian farm families, and the
maintenance of the family the economic viability of the family
becomes important. Now, what's happened in the last 20 or 30 years
Is that the terms of trade have shifted on farmers the things they
used to sell 30 years ago were more valuable than the things they
used to buy. This Is not the case any more, which means we have
got to be more efficient the margins are slimmer, theref ore we have
to use all of our assets in an optimal way-And I think the sort of
discussion you have heard this morning in there indicates, I think, to
you that farmers in districts are now thinking in these ways they
know their own farms' vulnerabilities, they are going to try to repair
them and make them better,. more sustainable and more productive,
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and therefore a better bottom line, and therefore a stronger farm
family, therefore the likelihood is that the children will keep the
farming going, and that is good for rural Australia, and it's good for
the economy.
J. Now, is the Federal Government actually supporting the campaign
financially further supporting it?
PM. Well, I'm just about to announce again today here at Wudinna that we
are going to be funding a further regional enterprise in farming. We
are now doing this across the country in a number of places where
we are seeking to, well, if you like, reconstruct the holdings, and to
make them more efficient, and to see how people can adjust
themselves either on properties or off properties. All with
sustainability in mind, all with more farm efficiency in mind.
J: Will you consider extending funding for the PMP campaign to the
year 2000, as per one of the recommendations?
PM. Well, we are very keen about keeping the momentum going of
Property Management Planning, and now, I think, we have got it on
the roll, we want to keep it there. So, I think that you will see from the
Federal Government from this Labor Government a lot of interest
in sustainability, a lot of interest in drought-proofing, a lot of interest
in sensible planning of farms, and management of farms, and we are
not going to let the opportunity go.
J: So you can say at this stage that you will look at further funding?
PM; I Well, I think we will be looking at further funding, yes.
J: Do you think the Lock group here is a good example of what's been
done so far, as far as land management is concerned?
PM: Well, I thought it was a very encouraging conversation with the Lock
group here today. You had one of the older farmers saying that he
was thinking for the first time about new ways in which to farm the
property new ways in which to configure the property, to not just see
it out in simple blocks and attack it, regardless of the soil types and
the vulnerability to erosion. Then you had another farmer say that a
younger farmer saying that he was very excited by the prospects,
and that, you know, a new vista had been opened up. And we need a
bit of both, I think we need experience from a change in attitudes
from experienced farmers, and that sense of excitement that I think is
going to keep agriculture going. And I think there is nothing better -I
mean, education does this to all of us in all fields, and I think thinking
about going into one of these programs, and having the value of the
conversation of other people in the same district to have tried other
things in similar soils, and in similar circumstances, really means that
you are starting to concentrate the knowledge, and getting up the
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learning curve awfully quickly, rather than doing it the hard way by
yourself.
J Your visit here to one of the most marginal Liberal seats has
Inevitably sparked more claims of electioneering is that what you
are doing today?
PM: No. I have been in many parts of rural Australia all this year I have
been recently in Roma in Queensland, in Winton, in Orange in NSW
just over a week ago, in Rockhampton, well, all parts of Australia.
Mainly to try and help with the drought by giving income support to
farm families, but now it has broken in many places, learning the
lessons and getting that sustainability going. So, that's what this is
about, and what's happening here on the Eyre Peninsula I think is
encouraging. And can I just say that we have held this electorate of
Grey for over a decade we only narrowly lost it, and it is something
that can come our way again, but this is not the first day of an
election campaign, I can assure you of that.
J On another matter, Prime Minister, the French nuclear testing do
you support the South Pacific Forum's decision to suspend dialogue
with the French?
P M. Well, I was part of that at the South Pacific Forum. We made a
decision that we would think about terminating the dialogue status
with France were it to explode another device. Well, it's done that,
and I certainly concur in the Pacific Forum making that decision
today, and breaking that dialogue status off. This is, again, another
selfish and I think thoughtless decision by France it wouldn't test
this weapon in its metropolitan territory, it wants to test it in someone
else's when the premium should be on nuclear non-proliferation. The
big challenge is to stop the non-weapons states from getting into
weapons, and for a democracy like France to be out there
encouraging it is an affront to everybody who believes in the values
and the thought process of democratic states. This is our principal
objection to what the French are doing.
J Why won't the government consider severing bi-lateral relations with
France?
PM: Well, one, to keep an influence on France, and I think we are starting
to because we have maintained relations have an influence on
French public opinion. So now that the great majority of French
people want to see this program terminated, President Chirac's
standing in his community on this decision has plummeted, and I
think Australia's proselytising the things I have been able to do in Le
Monde and some of the other, Liberation, and some of the other
newspapers have made a difference, and I think this is the sort of
influence that Australia can have. We can see the impact we have
had on the chemical weapons treaty, the chemical weapons
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convention in the past where we are seeking now to get a resolution
up to the United Nations the Foreign Minister is now there -* we are
going to play an active role in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
So engagement is the answer, I think pressing on, indefatigably,
and engaging on the issues.
J: Just lastly, following your criticism and the fact that he hasn't
released any policies he has given an indication that he will be
coming out with policies before the election what is your response to
that?
P M. Well, Andrew Robb was telling us on the weekend television that they
have their policies 98% prepared. Well, it that's the case, why are
they hiding them from the Australian public? It's not me they're hiding
them from I'm not the person who is going . who is casting the
votes, I'm only casting 1 vote at the next election. But millions of
votes are going to be cast by the Australian community why is John
Howard hiding his policies, when his Federal Secretary his Federal
Director says they are 98% prepared? What cynicism is prevailing
that he will only pop them out at the fast minute, or if he gets a
chance not pop them out, to sneak past the public without them
being able to understand what he is really proposing? It's as I have
always said, honesty and credibility in politics starts with policies, and
if the Liberals have their policies prepared as Mr Robb now tells us
they have why is John Howard being so slick and so sneaky in
keeping them in the bottom drawer?
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