INTERVIEW WITH TONY WALKER OF RADIO AUSTRALIA ON 19 DECEMBER 1975
4TERVIEWER: Mr Fraser, what do you see as your most important priorities
in Government?
RIME MINISTER: First to get a good sound administration that can grapple
with the internal economic difficulties and cut out
extravagance and waste, cut out duplication in the general
administration of the country, and get the economy back onto
a sound basis so people can plan their own futures,
their businesses futures in a way that will be predictable.
TTERVIEWER: Would you be looking to a recovery say before the end of
the year?
RIME MINISTER: Well I've always said that it would take a full three year
term to undo the damage that we believe had been caused by
two or three years of fairly wild extravagance. But I would
alsq. certainly hope that confidence would begin to show
itself in tho economy quite soon.
NTERVIEWER: Would, you say that the economic indicators are looking fairly
. promising at the moment say mudh more promising than six
months ago?
RIME MINISTER: Well some are. lookinq slightly more promising but I don't
think we can take yet too much heart from the sorts of figures
that have come out, statistics about the past. Recovery
overseas is tentative, the United States appears to be moving
forward, but there is a long way to go, and we should not
underrate the importance of the task and the determination
that is going to be needed to get out of the economic
difficulties that do confront us.
ITERVIEWER: So you're suggesting in a sense that recovery may be fairly
slow?
RIME MINISTER: Well we hope that it's going to start soon and that confidencc
will be regained and people will start to make investment
decisions. This will lead to more employment, more productivity,
and also more revenue, one of the way of helping to get down
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the deficit. But it is not a job that can be done in a
week or a month. I get back to the point that I believe
it will require a full three year program. me to establish
a complete economic recovery.
INTERVIEWER: I wonder if we can turn now to foreign relations. Under
your administration, what posture will Australia be adopting?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we want to maintain . friendships with as many countries
as possible. I think closer relationships can be established
with the ASEAN countries than has. been the case in -the past,
-and also closer relationships with'Japan, which were damaged
by some aspects of resources policy ofh previous Government.
We certainly want to maintain links with China and I'vealready
said that when domestic matters make it possible and it
is necessary for me to go overseas, that the ASEAN countries
and Japan and China would be. first-on a list of priorities
Ilam not suggesting that is early. I think it is quite
som6,' time off.
INTERVIEWER: Quite possibly towards the middle of next year perhaps?
PRIMIE MINISTER: Well I would not want to put a time on it. It would
depend entirely on how domestic events go -our major
problems, the problems that worry Australians, are in
Australia and tHat is where I ought-to be at the moment.
INTERVIEWER: But when you do go overseas, your first priority would be
in th is region?
? RIME MINISTER: Yes it would -very definitely.
! NTERVIEWER: Mr Fraser, during the campaign you talked, in foreign polic-y
terms, about reinforcing old relationships. Would that mean
that Australia will generally support the United States in
world bodies like the United Nations?
. RIME MINISTER: If we believe they are right. Not if we believe they are
wrong. I think there is almost been a tendency over the last
year or two to oppose what the United States has proposed,
or what Britain might have proposed, almost because they
were the proposers, almost because they were on a certain
side in an argument. There -seemed to be a wish to vote with the
Third World, or with communist powers, just for the sake of
it. -We will be judging matters on their merits on the
basis of the arguments that will be put and making our own
judgements accordingly about the way Australia ought to
cast a vote. I think that is the way respect is gained in
international relations not by saying we are going to support
one country permanently or oppose another country permanently.
The arguments will be judged on their merits.
[ TERVIEWER: Would you see some danger in the prospect, perhaps, if we are
seen to support the United States too solidly, too often,
that we may offend some of our new friends in the non-aligned
movement?
LIVEE MINISTER:* Wellif we are supportinq the United States on the basis
of ' airguments. that are put on an analysis of a' situation,
and if as a result of that we believe the United States
is right, then we certainly ought, to support her and that is
. what we'll be doing. But it wili'be on the basis of analysis,
on the basis of argument in each particular " Case. So there
is no question of not supporting a point of view-which will
be an Australian. point of view and one which we would come
to because of our own analysis of events. It needs to be
understood, and this is a term I've used before, that there
are countries around the world with whom we have got clear
philisophical links-in common, generally the democratic
countries which conduct their Governments in certain ways
that do have free elections that are capable ol: changing
their Governments. I think it is natural that Australia would
want to strengthen ties with countries that have this clear
philosophical commitment in common. One of the nearest
and clearest of course is New Zealand.
TERVIEWER: on that point it is sometimes said that you are too preoccupied
with the power and influence of the Soviet Union. Would
you see a hardening of Australia's attitude towards the
Soviet Union under your administration?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think I am any more preoccupied with the
power and influence of the Soviet Union than China would be
for example. And China, as we know, is immensely concerned
at some aspects of. Russ ian policies the build. up in the
Indian Ocean of naval. forces has almost entirely occurred
as a-result of increasing Russian involvement develloping
acapacity to maintain ships of war at sea over very long
periods without resupply from ports. The opening of the
Suez Canal will, of course, increase Russia's capacity to
achieve that. Russia is the major power that has been
pushing and thrusting in different directions. But in this
respect I think I have shared a number of aspects of the view
that China has put.
INTERVIEWER: Do you-see the Indian Oqean then as a possible area of conflict?
PRIME~ MINISTER: Well1I would certainly hope not. But to argue as the
preViouS Government -tended to t[-hat the United'States should
stay out of the Indian Ocean that it is wrong to establish
Diego. Garcia while saying little or virtually nothing about
. efforts of the Soviet Union'to bu'ild up its capacity was a
very tone sided approach to the problem. It iLs ju1st not
realistic to suggest that the Indian Ocean can become a zone
of peace where no warships sail. The Russians are quite
determined that they are going to parade around the
Indian Ocean, and if that is so the United States and. other
countries need a capacity. Australia needs a capacity that is
comnmendsurate with her means and her requirements. It is
obviously a very modest one, compared with those of either
of the two major powers. But some aspects of this debate have
never really been fully emphasised. Diego Garcia has often
been looked upon merely as a base, a modest one, for United
States purposes. It ought to be pointed out that in the event
of renewed difficulties in the Middle East, if the Azores were
denied to the United States as a landing and staging point for
their aircraft, the only other way of reinforcing Israel
in the event of a renewed difficulty would be through Diego
Garcia. The other point about Diego Garcia is that it is
fairly essential from the point of view of being able to protect
INTERVIEWER: the shipping lanes which bring oil from the Middle East
to countries in our region, and in particular, to Japan.
So it has got a strategic influence and importance
that-. ought not to be underestimated.
You're laying quite a lot of emphasis on Australia's
support for America on Diego Garcia. You don'It think
that there may be some difficulty for us in this in the.
sense of offending littoral States around the Indian Ocean,
like India for example?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think the previous Government was coming to recognise
the necessity of Diego Garcia very slowly, very reluctantly
in very much the same way as they came to reco~ gnise the
necessity for the joint bases in Australia which we-sharewith
the United States.
INTERVIEWER: Mr Fraser, I wonder if I can put. four foreign policy situations
to you' and ask for your comment? First, South Africa.
What sort of relations do you expect between Canberra and
Pretoria?
PRIME MINISTE R: Well I would hope relationships with many countries including
South Africa, are cordial. I would hope relationships with
China and the Soviet Union are cordial. That doesn't mean
to say we agree wzith the internal. poli'cies of that particular
country. If we are only going to have reasonable diplomatic
relations or friendly diplomatic relations with countrieswhose
internal policies we agree with, then we are going to
leave ourselves in a good deal of isolation. So, you know,
I've said we wish to maintain relationships with a~ s many
countries as possible.
INTERVIEWER: What would your attitude, for example, be on sporting
teams from South Africa coming to this ' country?
? RIM,, E MINISTER: Well I made it quite plain during the election that if
they were picked and known to be picked on a proper multi-racial
basis, then that would be welcomed.
INTERVIEWER: Towards, the Middle East, will Australia's so called
even handed policy be maintained?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I have also said that I don't believe that the
policy adopted by the previous Government was even handed.
I've branded the policy as a pro-Russian policy.
INTERVIEWER: Well how will your Government respond to the situation there?
PRIME MINISTER: We would want to make more plain our commitment Ito the
survival of Israel.
INTERVIEWER: And how will you do that in practical terms?
PRIME MINISTER: Well in practical terms maybe there is not a great deal
that Australia can in fact do. In the United Nations, however,
a number of resolutions have come to which we've opposed
an would certainly continue to. There appears to have
been moves amongst some countries to isolate Israel
something that we would resist.
INTERVIEWER: Do you see the Israeli question, say at therUnited Nations,
as a first important test of foreign policy for your Government?
Australia's stand on that question?
-RIME MINISTER: I think that might be putting it on too high a plane. I
haven't got the United Nations timetable in : ront of me at
the moment, so I don't know what events are going to occur.
In foreign affairs, matters can occur sometimes quite quickly,
quite unpredictablv.
. NTERVIEWER: A problem on our doorstep, Timor. What solution do you
see to that?
RIME MINISTER: I would hope that there can be an observer mission from the
United Nations that can properly oversee the appropriate
process of self determination. One of the tragedies of this
situation is the breakdown of internal order in Portugal.
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itself that has left Portugal without the will or
without the capacity to see the the decolonisation process
in Portugese Timor proceeded as it ought to have proceeded.
When that situation began to develop, which I think was
about 14 or 15 months ago, it would have been possible
to take one of two initiatives, either through the United
Nations, again with appropriate observer groups, or on a
regional basis in cooperation with other countries to oversee
the appropriate process of self determination. Now neither
of these things occurred. Neither of these initiatives
were taken, and a very difficult situation resulted as a result
of that. But you will know we have'supported various
resolutions in the United Nations and we hope that effect
. can be given to that.
INTERVIEWER: On that point, your Government. I think, has taken a rather
stronger line on Indonesian activities in Timor than perhaps
the'-previous Government did. Would you say that could create
some problems between Canberra and Jakarta?
PRIME MINISTER: I, believe our relationships with Jakarta are very close.
I know Mr Peacock has been thereion a niumber of occasions
and personally knows a number of their leaders. And so do I.
It is important that relationships between Indonesia and
Australia remain close.. It . is important not only for ourselves
and for Indonesia, but for the stability of the general
region. But on the other hand, if there is a view
that w6 feel needs to be put on a matter which affects our
general relationships or that impinges on the interests
of both countries, I believe that the relationship with
Indonesia is so close that they will understand our point of
view. One of the important things between countries in the
same part of the world who have many friendships, attitudes
and interests in common, is that they ought to be understood
that when some plain views are put, they ought to be put
modestly and in appropriate language. I think that is what
we have done.
INTERVIEWER: I wonder if. I can ask you one final question. Are you
optimistic or pessimistic about prospects for peace in this region?
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PRIME MINISTER: Basically optimistic, but only so long as countries
are aware of possible dangers so that their policies and
attitudes can be so framed that those dangers do not arise.
If we take the attitude that there are no problems, there
are no dangers that can even occur, well that helps to
establish'the circumstances in which dangers and problems
can occur and will occur. So it is a question of being able
to analyse the situation, see where the dangers might lie,
and have a foreign policy which enables us to prevent
that happening.
INTERVIEWER: Mr Fraser, thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: * Th ank you.