PM Transcripts

PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT q 4 MAY 1978 r
INTERVIEW WITH PETER HARVEY
AT FAIRBAIRN , the
QUESTION: Prime Minister, why the need for/ two Boeing 7271s.
PRIME MINISTER: The basic need is on the grounds of
security, that's been very strongly put to me over recent
days. When I first became Prime Minister it was indicated
that it was alright to travel on commercial aircraft so long
as proper precautions were taken. People were much happier
travelling Qantas and other airlines. * Qantas doesn't travel
through every route that one needs to go to and over the last
couple of years there has been an increasing concern for
security and as you know the number of incidents around the
world have been fairly marked. It is not a question of a
Prime Minister's security so much, or I don't think it is, but
also the additional risk which you place on other passengers
who are in an aircraft and that again.' has been expressed
very strongly. Sir Robert Mark had some-elements of this in
his own general report on security. As a result of that, I
asked for technical evaluation again from our own security
people and while much of that can't become public because
its outlining the nature of the threat and what people do, or
could do to put a flight or a person in danger in travel. I
think Mr. Killen has tabled a document which is bringing all
this together and a very hard recommendation that the Government
ought to take some action. Now, you can say aren't there
aircraft? Well the aircraft we are standing beside-is not a
long-range aircraft. It can't travel overseas with any degree
of satisfaction. Its a twin engine aircraft and its single
engine performance is poor to say the best. It was a good
aircraft for what it was originally bought, but it won't do
the longer range job and it hasn't got the inbuilt security
that you need with three engines. I was very reluctant and
always have been very reluctant about this particular matter,
but ultimately I have had to accept that the grounds of security in,
1978 aind beyond are overwhelming. I suppose on two grounds
the safety of a head of government and whatever, whoever, might
be travelling with him, but also to avoid putting at risk
other passengers who travel by normal commercial means on a
normal commercial flight. 000---