E.
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, KELMSCOTT FOOTBALL CLUB,
PERTH, 25 NOVEMBER 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it looks like the Labor
Government could hang on over there, it must be a boon?
S PM: I understand that the Labor Government has won. It
deserved to. There's been some swing against, but it's not
a massive one and very importantly there has been no joy in
this for the Liberal Party. The minor parties seem to have
picked up, been the major beneficiaries of the swing that
there has been. But I want to say to John Bannon
congratulations. He's a very, very considerable man, a good
Premier. I'm glad that the Government of South Australia is
going to be in his hands for the next three years.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the swing. Is that a protest
against high interest rates?
PM: You can't identify what the elements are, but there'd
have to be some element of that in it. But it's impossible
to say just precisely, you know, how that's composed. The
important thing is that the Liberals are seen as lacking
substance, there's no answer there. The policies that we've
got we've tried to explain why they're necessary. As I keep
on saying, I'm not a masochist, I'm not a sadist. We don't
want to hurt the people, we don't want to hurt ourselves,
but it's necessary for a while to have those rates there so
that we can protect the country into the future. But the
important thing about South Australia is, as I've said, the
decision had to be who was going to govern South Australia
for the next three years. That's the issue and I'm very,
very grateful that the people of South Australia decided
that it should be John. Bannon because he deserves that
honour. JOURNALIST: Considering his win, when will you go to the
polls, Mr Hawke?
PM: It's got nothing to do the outcome of the South
Australian election wasn't going to determine my decision on
that matter. I mean, we've got an election coming up in
Queensland next week and I hope we'll get the outcome there
that is proper for the people of Queensland because there,
the issue is obviously one central issue. That's the
question of corruption in Queensland and I believe that
Wayne Goss is the man, the only man, who can provide good,
clean, efficient government for Queensland. I hope that
will be the outcome of next Saturday.
JOURNALIST: Sir, a swing of five percent. Any change in
policies PM: Well, there is no swing of five percent. That is not
the figure.
JOURNALIST: Well, any change to Federal policies
PM: No, as I've said, as far as I'm concerned the question
there was who was going to govern South Australia. I don't
change economic policy on the basis of what I think is going
to be just electorally desirable. I mean if I wanted to get
some cheap short term kudos, I could just say alright, down
come interest rates, but that would be irresponsible at the
moment. I must insist I don't have interest rates high for
fun, I don't want them to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt
myself, but I would hurt the Australian economy if I was to
lower them precipitately at this time. We've just got to
level of f the economy a little bit, when that happens then
interest rates will come down.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you understand the size
of the swing is in South Australia? We've just been
listening to Andrew Peacock on the radio saying
PM: Yes, well you ought to have learned by now this is a
very desperate man. Just to look at his behaviour in the
Parliament last week. I mean a pathetic performance there
and what you've got now is a Liberal Party which has
undertaken a very, very remarkable course. They started at
the beginning of the last week by saying it was going to be
a dirty campaign and then dive their hands into the bucket
of grime and they've been throwing it ever since. Now if Mr
Peacock wants to delude himself that that's the outcome,
that the Liberal Party has been the beneficiary in South
Australia, no-one will be happier than Bob Hawke that he
reads it that way.
( Question about George Gear's chances of a position in the
ministry) PM: He's got a very, very good chance.
ends