TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, VICTORIAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, MELBOURNE
2 NOVEMBER 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Prime Minister, superannuation. The Coalition appears to have adopted a
key part of your policies as their own, and called It their own now what's
your response to them?
PM: Well, the obvious response is If people want good, progressive policy,
keep the authors of the policy not some faker who is trying to pick it up
on the cheap.
J: Prime Minister, retail'trade is down a fraction is that a good sign of the
economy?
PM: Oh, God knows, pal. That needs to be deciphered by geniuses like you.
J: Prime Minister, on what do you base your claim that you say Victoria has
the lowest arts spending of all the States where do you get that from?
PM: Oh, Just on a few simple statstics. I don't know whether I have still got the
piece of paper, but It's materially below all of the other States Victoria
spends less money on the arts than any of the other States, and, of
course, can I also just quote Mr Haddon Storey in terms of
Commonwealth speniding. In writing to Michael Lee earlier this year, [ he]
said * 1 was particulal pleased to learn of the Initiatives that are to be
developed In the State of Victoria. Once again, may I commend you for
the development of the cultural policy, and for the initiatives that begin to
address the Imbalance in allocation of Federal resources that has
unfortunately become the characteristic of arts funding over the past
decade". Now, a lot, of course, of the national companies are here. Now,
they can't simply be counted as simply Commonwealth/ Canberra
Institutions. They are actually institutions which are shared by all of us,
including the city of Melbourne.
J: Do you accept that ( inaudible)
PM: No. I don't. And it's like these-shonky ads by Jeff Kennett this morning. I
mean, what he has done. is publish the 94-95 spending on a project
that.. he's published spending of $ 1,370,000, but the project cost $ 16
million. Now, that's just shabby and dishonest
J: What do you think is behind his attack then, Mr Keating?
PM: Well, he's just trying to help Howard out. He's beyond help he shouldn't
bother. I say this to Jeffrey look after yourself.
J: What do you think of the report this morning that the Liberal campaign
slogan is going to be lime's Up, Paul'?
PM: Well, I always say to our people that Andrew Robb is the Kim Philby of the
Labor Party he Is our man helping us out, because almost everything he
touches turns to clay. You know, always remember that he is in there
helping us.
J: Will you rule out a December 9 election?
PM: Oh God, you know I get asked that sort of silly question daily let me give
you the standard answer. Say this to your news director with feeling, that
what I believe Is the public expect to have real value from the parliaments,
that they don't expect the Government to be going early, or to be shortcircuiting
the opportunities the Legislative and Governmental
opportunities.
J: Mr Keating, back on superannuation you say don't believe John Howard
when he gives these various commitments do you believe Mr Costello,
and secondly, do we need another inquiry into the financial system?
PM: Is that what they have said?
J: Yeah.
PM: They will say anything, I tell you. I mean, here they are the last Inquiry
inyto the financial system you know, I will tell you a little story. When I
first became Treasurer which 1s now quite a long time ago I came Into
this dingy litte office which Mr Howard used to occupy, arnd they had
cleared out all of their things. You know, the cupboards were bare. Arnd
there was a copy of the Campbell Report on the shelves, and it must have
been sitting in the sun, and it had gone yellow. HeI commissioned it, and
did nothing with it. The thing about Mr Howard he's not a conservative,
he Is a reactionary. I mean, Menzies was a Conservative. Conservatism
is about maintaining the status quo, and perhaps incremental movements
forward. Mr Howard always wants to go back. So, they commissioned
that study which came, really, from an idea of one of the staff members
of Malcolm Frasers office he did nothing with ft. The float of the dollar,
the opening up of the financial markets all of these things were left on
the shelf, and they were done by this Govemment. We have now got a
burgeoning, growing financial market, the exchange rate the price of It
set in the markets, interest rates are set in the markets, we have got a
very.. there's a lot of tone on our financial markets. I think about the last
thing we need now is another inquiry Into the financial markets. I mean,
they say these things every day you're just wasting your time and mine.
J: What about the regulation of the financial markets?
PM: There's no regulation left. What regulation? The exchange rate is set in
the market, the Interest rates are set In the market.
J: Well, the various; regulatory authorities like the Competition Commission
and....
PM: You don't like those?
J: Well, he doesnt He says that there's too many, and they're too much
overweight.
PM: Oh, yeah. I know he says all sorts of things.
J: Our State Government has released details of a city
link ( inaudible) they're trying to push people onto a basically privately
run freeway have you got any views on that?
PM: I mean, here we are, where In the last decade, our GDP has more than
doubled, and we're seeing the Stock Market climb by a factor of five,
where the country Is much wealthier than It used to be, but we can't afford
to run an ambulance service. We can't even afford to leave open the
toilets on the railway stations. I mean, Jeff Kennett has got the lock and
chain on the toilets on the railway stations. What's the world coming to? I
mean, what does he think he's doing? He's looking after his pals down
there at the Casino, and, as I said a moment ago, the Casino here in
Victoria is a tax on the poor, and a blight on the State of Victoria. And, no
doubt, If he gets up to any other tricks be it the Albert Park Grand Prix,
or the City Unk he'll try and shut all the roads off so people must pay the
money. Now, as I said a moment ago, Jeffrey is a very worried man. He
has finally worked out that people don't like him very much, and they don't
like him for these sorts of shenanigans. That Is, trying to jam the roads of
to make you pay the toil. I mean, what's he doing? The thing is, you see,
he believes in public squalor this is the sort of snaky Uberal Party view
these days this Is how the Uberal Party has changed so much. It
believes now in public squalor can't afford a toilet In a railway station.
can't afford an ambulance If you have had a heart attack, can't afford a
road through a capital city, you can't drive through It If you don't want to
take the freeway. As I said, he has got the building down in Treasury
Place done out like the Reichstag, he's sitting up there and, you know, in
the end this community will hate him. They will hate him for all of the
things he is doing which are so un-Australian. They will hate him for ft.
J: Prime Minister, John Howard was in Melbourne last night wooing the
Chinese community
PM: Look, John Howard couldn't woo anybody. He couldn't woo anyone. He
can't even woo them in a Uberal Party conference. The last time I saw a
Uberal leader at the Chinese community, was Alexander Downer chasing
a meatball around a plate with a pair of chop-sticks. It's on film you'll
find him. He chases it all around the plate, you know. John Howard
wooing the Chinese community well, well, well. I'll tell you one thing
about the Chinese they are very smart. They won't be taken in by him.
Because let me tell you every time he's had the chance to kick the racial
can In Australia, he has. You know what those Chinese think about him,
deep In their hearts? They think if this bloke had a fair go at us, he would
send us back. That's what they think about him.
J: Your comments on the Casino being a tax on the poor and a blight can
you expand on that?
PM: Well, of course it's a tax on the poor. They open up, everyone turns up in
their zoot suits, their dinner suit and the champagne, four days later,
they're emptying people out from the working suburbs of Australia. You
know, when they have run out of money, they pour them out the door. I
mean, its a bad cultural and social development.
J: Does that apply everywhere, Mr Keating?
PM: I hate the things I don't like Casino's. I mean, I don't have that much in
common with Rupert Murdoch, but one thing I do is I think Casino's are
bad news.
J: What about some regulation in that area?
PM: Well, thats for a smart journo like you to get right onto, mate.
J: Could you still run an election campaign and attend the CHOGM and
APEC meetings?
PM: Well, there's a political science unit near here you want to go and throw
that question in, and see what answer they give you.
ends.