PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT OF PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED ON KNBC
CHANNEL 4, LOS ANGELES 29 JANUARY 1980
Rejo r t
Some of the U. S. allies most vocal in condemning the Soviet move
in Afghanistan have been Britain, Canada and Australia. As a
guest on News Centre 4 tonight is the Prime Minister, of Australia,
Malcolm Fraser. Prime Minister Fraser will be meeting with
President Carter on Thursday to talk about the situation in
Afghanistan. After that he goes to Britain for talks with Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher. We have asked him to join us tonight
to talk about his Government's positions in those areas.
Question Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. Not only did you respond agreeably
to U. S. positions where Iran, Afghanistan are concerned, but you
responded perhaps more quickly than any other nation, almost in
concert with the United States. Was there any pre-arrangement
on these issues?
Prime Minister
We keep fairly closely in touch on a large number of important
issues. But we believe that the United States was right. We also
believe that if there is a free world job to be done, that
obviously the United States is the most significant country in that,
but there is a role for other countries as well.
Question Which should be what?
Prime Minister
Well, if we think the United States is right, to be supportive
and to do what we can in what is after all a common cause.
Question You agreed with the grain embargo, you agreed with Olympic boycott,
as I recall-
Prime Minister
Yes I do.
Question But you have also suggested that your nation might even provide
some naval support should the United States choose to make some
move. Would that include a blockade? Would you participate in
a blockade?
Prime Minister
That is not quite what we have said. We have a defence relationship
with the United States that goes back to being on the same side in
the last World War and there is a formal alliance. Wqhat we have
said is that if -there looks like being increasing responsibilities
in the Indian Ocean, not just in the short term, just not for the
Prime minister ( continued)
time of the crisis in Iran and Afghanistan, but over a much
longer haul, then we are prepared to take a larger share of
that load. Therefore, we will be discussing with the United
States our capacity to contribute some-thing more to the general
patrolling and surveillance responsibilities in the Indian Ocean.
Question Do you see the Soviet move into Afghanistan as being a significant
change in Soviet attitude. Does it mark the end of detente?
Does it mark the return of the Cold War?
Prime Minister
It is not the return of the Cold War, because circumstances are
different. That does not mean to say it will be any easier or
more comfortable than the Cold War was. It will be different.
I think that sort of term does not really describe the circumstance.
In the years since the Cold War, the Soviet Union has been churning
12, 13, 14 per cent of her gross domestic product into defence
every year, year after year. So they are well armed and they are
very well equipped. The end of detente? Well, the West had one
interpretation of detente, the Soviet Union had another.
Question So none really existed?
Prime MInister
I doubt if it ever really existed. I think that really, what
Afghanistan has enabled many people to do is to see the real
intentions of the Soviet Union more clearly, more starkly, than
they have been able to in recent times.
Question You speak of the Soviet defence build-up, and as you are undoubtedly
aware in this nation President Carter's new budget has proposed
major increases in defence spending. You were once Defence Minister
of your nation. Is your nation also beefing up its defences,
spending more of its resources on defence?
Prime Minister
We have asked our own defence people to put options in froit of us.
I would believe that our own defence expenditure will be increased
as a result of what has happened. We have been increasing in real
terms our expenditure in the last three or four years, but our
expenditure has been modest.
Question In the Middle East you haven't quite as much at stake as we. you
are virtually energy independent, are you not?
Prime Minister
In many fields, yes. We are a major energy exporter in coal, and
natural gas, and a little later in uranium. We are not selfsufficient
in oil about 70 per cent self-sufficient, the rest
from imports. But if, through further disruptions to Middle East
Prime Minister ( continued)
oil supplies, advanced industrial economies were grievously
damaged, as they could be, then that would obviously affect
Australia and will affect all nations.
Question You not only export energy, you also are a major exporter of food.
Is it your judgement, it is the judgement of your Government,
that food is an appropriate weapon to be used in a political
skirmish? Could you withhold food from the Middle East the way
the Arabs withhold oil from the rest of the world in times of
political crisis.
Prime Minister
I think it would be very difficult to do that. I believe it
would be counter-productive. It might lose support for the cause
which we believe is important.
Question Do you also suggest it might be immoral?
Prime Minister
I think many people would suggest that, yes.