LJ* ) f1
AUSTIlA!, IA , t-
PRIME MIISE
E. 0. E. PROOF ONLY
TRANSCRIPT PRESS CONFERENCE, 6 MAY 1983
P. M.-May I say and I hope it will be appreciated that given the
circumstanc: es to which I have alluded it would, in some senses,
have been perhaps more appropriate to simply expect that the
Government in those circumstances would be trusted to have
acted for sound and appropriate reasons and I believe its
going to be difficult, if not impossible, to have a normal
question opportunity but I'm prepared to try and see if
there are some matters which don't breach the obligations
that I have to discharge in this matter, so I'm available.
Q Mr Hawke your house was broken into just before the elections.
Do you see any connection between that and a report that Sir
William McMahon's home was broken into just before he
became Prime Minister?
P. M. No.
Q Mr Hawke, does Mr Toohey on his own now represent some kind of
threat to Australian security?
P. M.-I'm not prepared to comment on that.
Q Prime Minister will you be expecting any sort of protest
say from countries like Papua New Guinea or explanations about
. allegations in the article
P. M.-I think it very likely that there would be approaches for
explanation.
Q Are you prepared to concede Prime Minister that some of the
material published is in the public interest?
P. M.-No.
Q What is your attitude in relation to information about
prominent Australians being given to governments overseas,
particularly the United States?
P. M.-I am disturbed.
Q Prime Minister, will you be seeking to explain to countries
such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea the circumstances about
these reports?
P. M.-I can't imagine that the first two places that I'll be going
to which are Papua New Guinea and Indonesia that the matter
will not ch raised.
Q What will you be saying to them sir?
P. M.-I would imagine that you understand thaot i t; more appropriaf. e
that I should convey that directly to thcm, rat! thier than throuch you.
Q Will you instigate a review of ASIO as a result of
these allegations?
P. M. -The decisions and actions of the government which are
required in the light of what has been published to
this stage will be a matter for determination by the
Government.
Q Mr Hawke, do you believe the Australian public is
entitled to know that the internal security service
raided the home of a former Prime Minister, handed
over information to the CIA about Australian politicians
and Australian officers and gave to a right-wing body,
the NCC, copious ASTO material. Is that in the public
interest for people to know that?
P. M. -They are serious allegations and there couldn't in
terms of Australia's internal security and proper
conduct of its affairs be much more serious allegations.
The question of what is done to ascertain the accuracy
or otherwise of the allegations and what may follow from
that is obviously one of the matters for consideration
by the Government and is being so considered.
Q Mr Hawke, what if any is your advice on how this mass
of material should have gotten. into the hands ( inaudible)
P. M. -No we don't know. Clearly, as I am indicating, we are
taking steps to try and find out.
Q do you believe this was brought about to embarrass
your Goverment, to bring about memories of the previous
Labor Governments and ASIO?
P. M. I'm not in a position to know why Mr Toohey has done
what he's done.
Q Why did your injunctionnot seek to prevent the publication
and distribution of this edition of The National Times?>
P. M. It was already too late to do that.
Q How do you differentiate between ( the activities of
Mr Ivanov and those of our own agencies)
P. M. Mr Ivanov is, to the best of my knowledge, is a citizen
of the Soviet Union.
ENDS. 1 1