PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, RAAF FAIRBAIRN, CANBERRA, 16 NOVEMBER 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Mr Keating, are you concerned with the maritime strike and the
coalminers strike following that?
PM: Well I spoke to the principals overnight Mr Davis, Mr Kelty and
Mr Pallas from the ACTU and I think we may have a resolution of it.
I am optimistic that we might be able to tidy it up by midday or
thereabouts.
J: Are you aware the strike kicked off early in Melbourne at 7.00 am this
morning?
PM: Well I think the main issues in the dispute are likely to be settled and
they are that all the civil actions that CRA was going to mount against
the individuals and the organisations be taken off and that the principle
of equal work for equal pay and-the right of people to bargain
collectively without discrimination against that being offered by a
contract I think these are the issues which are likely to be agreed.
What has been at issue here is contracts being offered at prices and
at wages above what the award is being offered at or any collective
bargain and then, of course, when there is no union well the fear is the
wages then go down. So these are weighty issues being debated.
But, I think, the parties are close to an agreement and I am optimistic
we can get it settled.
J: The ACTU says that there needs to be changes to the IR legislation.
Will you be looking at that?
PM: Well I don't think there needs to be changes in this matter and CRA
has been one of the few companies doing this and I think if it can be
settled, it would be good for everybody. Good for the IR system, good
for the economy.
J: Who is going to pay Carmen Lawrence's legal bills if it's not passed by
the Senate?
PM: Well, look, the Royal Commission is the most vicious political stunt
that has been mounted in Australia probably since the War. And,
I think, before the Liberals take it any further, they ought to recollect
that both Mr Howard and Mr Court have very faulty memories about
this both of them when asked about their own recollections, they
were decidedly faulty and dodgy and I just say this, that the Australian
people recognise a hypocrite in a fog ten kilometres off. And they can
see the hypocrisy here and for the Commissioner to have said that
professionally he could only judge things on half the evidence and
then bring down such rock solid recommendations calls into question
his own credibility.
J: [ inaudible] perjury contempt charges?
PM: Well I am just saying I think they should consider carefully before they
go any further with these vicious stunts because Mr Court made it very
clear that he couldn't recollect his matters when asked and Mr Howard
made it clear he couldn't recollect what he said to Mr Court. So before
they start now going back to the courts, they all should remember that
all governments have these powers all governments, including the
Federal Government.
J: Is Carmen Lawrence something of a liability?
PM: No, none whatsoever. I mean I think the public support for her has
been manifest and, of course, the intellectual drivel which the
Commissioner engaged in, when the press wrote the Commissioner
and his Commission off, saying " the quicker the inquiry should be
round up the better"' " you have got to wonder what the point of
Royal Commissions are" " I can'f ' make a judgement on half the
evidence". What does he do? He brings down these findings as
though they were all a matter of, you know, tablets from a mount.
I mean it is just disgraceful.
J: There are suggestions that President Clinton is unable to attend
APEC? Will that devalue the summit and do you remain confident that
PM: Oh, it wouldn't devalue the summit, but I would very much like to have
him there. But, of course, he has essentially a budget crisis on in the
United States and no doubt that is attracting his attention.
ends