TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE, ORIENTAL HOTEL, BANGKOK
2 FEBRUARY 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
* JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you disappointed that Bill.
Kelty has described the idea of taking housing out of the CPI
for wages purposes as conceptually flawed?
PM: No, I don't make any judgement on that statement of Bill
Kelty's. I know that the ACTU is agreeing with the idea of:
examining the way in which the issue is being treated. out
of that discussion that will take place we would hope to get
a process which is most appropriate for all purposes for
which the CPI is used. I don't get upset by that comment by
Mr Kelty.
JOURNALIST: But it does seem to make it less likely that
your proposal will get carried through.
PM: Well we'll see what happens. The Statistician himself
has indicated that they're going to have a look at it, all
the parties I think agree that it ought to be looked at,
* let's see what happens.
JOURNALIST: Are you as confident-as you were the other day
Mr Hawke that you can reach some arrangement with the ACTU
about housing components for the last couple of quarters?
PM: The overall point that I am confident about is that the
wages outcome will be negotiated in a way which is relevant.
to both the legitimate aspirations of the Australian
workforce and they do have legitimate aspirations to
maintaining and gradually through time improving their living
standards. The equally important consideration which is in
our mind is maintaining responsible economic management in
the context of the circumstances, including the external
circumstances, with which we're confronted. I'm confident on
the experience of t1~ e last few years that t ' he trade union
movement and the Government, together with input from the
employers will get an outcome which is relevant to those two
considerations. I've been confident about that all along, I
have no reason to doubt that we can get that outcome.
JOURNALIST: It would be disastrous wouldn't it if wages were
to rise at the same sort of level as prices are now rising,
wouldn't it?
PM: It would be disastrous if the wages outcome were not
consistent with the capacity of the economy to sustain living
standards and not impose too great a strain on the external
account. Those are the criteria. I made it clear that a
wages outcome which is not consistent with those criteria is
not acceptable.
JOURNALIST: Back in ' 85 you agreed to delay tax cuts for
three months because of the economic situation. Would you be
prepared to contemplate delaying tax cuts this time for all
PM: That question hasn't arisen in my thinking at this
stage. JOURNALIST: There's been a suggestion that there be somespecial
allowance or weighting for people in Sydney because
of the housing cost. What do you say to that?
PM: I haven't addressed my mind to a particular weighting
for Sydney people. I think that's just an issue that may
arise in the discussions but I'm not going to prejudge that
suggestion. On it's face I don't get terribly excited about
it.
JOURNALIST: Bangkok, is it possible to ask a question
about your meeting with the Thai leadership?
PM: Perfectly possible Peter.
JOURNALIST: Do you think Prime Minister that you'll be
getting the support from the Thais for the regional trading
bloc group/ alliance, call it what you will, that you hoped
for in Korea?
SPM: I've to meet with the Prime Minister and other Ministers
later this morning. I would hope that at the least they
would find the concept one which is worth further analysis
and discussion. I would hope and expect to get that reaction
and I'll find out when I talk with the Prime Minister a bit
later this morning.
JOURNALIST: Is Kampuchea on the agenda today and what
aspects will you discuss?
PM: You couldn't be here and not have Kampuchea on the
agenda. Yes, it will be discussed and both the external and
the internal aspects will be discussed. The external aspects
being of course the withdrawal of 1he Vietnamese troops and
the phasing down of external assistance to the factions
within Kampuchea. And then of course, internally, what will
be the processes leading to an acceptable government within
Kampuchea. Those are the essential issues and that's what
I'll be discussing.
JOURNALIST: putting regarding some possible
international body and Australia's possible part in it?
PM: Well those discussions about what is now talked of as an
international control mechanism, the word mechanism being a
generalised phrase to cover the differences which have
existed between the concept of an international peace-keeping
force on the one hand what some elements and on the other
just a monitoring body, it is now referred to as a mechanism.
Well I want to find out from talking to the Prime Minister
and the Foreign Minister here just the latest thinking
amongst the various parties and they are absolutely up to
date with that about where the areas of difference are on
that concept. Essentially what I will be indicating as far
as Australia is concerned is that as an interested party and
one with a record of concerned involvement on this issue
Australia would stand ready to be of assistance in any sort
of mechanism, if we can use the word that's in vogue now, if
our presence i~ s desired. But I repeat, we are not here to
push ourselves in as a participant in the final supervising
process whatever form that might take but if it were regarded
as desirable by the parties concerned then obviously,
consistent with our past concern and involvement, we would be
prepared to consider that.
JOURNALIST: Do you think it would be regarded as desirable?
PM: By the parties? Well, I would tend to think so. Not
every party would have exactly the same attitude by
definition because you have such a range of parties. But I
think generally speaking Australia's standing is such that
they would regard it as sensible for Australia to have some
involvement.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, there have been reports from
Peking that Gareth Evans after his round of talks is
pessimistic of an early Cambodian settlement, do you share
that pessimism?
PM: I don't accept that he has it.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke the official figures show that the
performance of Australian exporters in Thailand has been
fairly mediocre. Are the faults all on the Australian side?
PM: Well let's just get that in perspective. There has been a
doubling of the performance in the last couple of years which
is admittedly from a low base but it is not right to say that
the movement is not substantial and in the right direction.
But I think you are right in saying that compared with our
trading relations with other countries in the region,
in absolute terms its not as high as we would like. And in
fact I will be proposing to the Prime Minister and other
Ministers a process whereby we can see a further significant
improvement in that in the couple of years ahead. I think
that there is a case to be argued that Australian businessmen
haven't been as enterprising in Thailand as they should have
been. The opportunities here are obviously very significant,
and it is a country which is in a period of rapid economic
growth with needs to greatly enlarge its infrastructure,
significant demands for a range of materials of imports as
well as manufactured goods. Now I think the opportunities,
generally speaking haven't been grasped or pursued as
vigorously as they might have been by Australian business.
Always there will be some difficulties and you could point to
some problems in the country concerned and there would be
some here. But what we are about on this occasion is to try
and create the framework at the government level, government
to government level, which will ensure that the environment
is there for the Australian business community, both the
private sector to the extent that public utilities would also
have a role, that the environment will be right for them to
take advantage of very significant opportunties that
undoubtedly exist here.
ends