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TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, WARRAGUL ARTS CENTRE
1 DECEM4BER 1989
E OE PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: I was wondering why this is your second visit to
Warracgul in such short a time. Are you concerned about Mr
Cunningham retaining McMillan?
PM: No, no. He will increase his majority. But there've been
good reasons for coming here and as I indicated in my remarks in
there I like the region very much. It's been an important part
of my life when I lived in Melbourne. But when I was down then
it was to do things that were appropriate to be done here. on
this occasion it seemed to me that it was a very good place in
which to launch our rural program. Barry will increase his
majority whenever the election is held, as he deserves to. An
outstanding Member.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned by the NSW Labor Council's
findings that you're in trouble at the next election?
PM: It was not a finding of the NSW Labor Council. I understood
it was some draft document which someone there put down some
thoughts at apparently a period when our fortunes weren't at
their most brilliant. But I would've thought if you wanted to
get your money on now as to outcomes it's quite clear which side
you should be on. I just noticed the Sun headline. It said
jitters'I. We need to look at the end of this week in Parliament
who's got the jitters and it ain't us boy.
JOURNALIST: Are you saying that report was out of date?
PM: I'm saying it had no status. It wasn't a finding, it wasn't
a decision of the Labor Council. I could you provide you with
papers that are floating around the Liberal Party that would make
you shudder. I could find you papers, draft papers and ideas in
our Party at times that I'd shudder at. What you've got to worry
about is what will be the decision of the union movement. Now
the Labor Council of NSW is part of the ACTU. Now they didn't
shuffle around a few draft papers in Adelaide at their meeting
this week. They unanimously decided, including the Labor Council
of NSW, that they would be supporting the Labor Government in its
re-election next year. That's a very sensible decision.
JOURNALIST: If I could ask you perhaps about the Queensland
election, your prediction and why you haven't been there.
PM: I have been there and I went up there w'ith Mr Goss and we had
a very very f ine time together in Mt Isa. So the. premise of the
question is not right. As to the outcome, I believe that at last
truth, ' beauty and justice will triumph and that Queenslanders at
last will rid themselves of the corruption and the darkness which
has featured in Queensland politics for all this period now of
more than 30 years. The Queenslanders realise that there is
basically one issue and one issue alone, that is are they going
to get rid of corrupt government and have decent, clean and
competent government. And they know that there is only one way
they can do that. This isn't a partisan It's not as though
you've got here's two or three over there out of which one could
provide an alternative. The fact is that the only alternative
government for Mr Goss would be a combination of the two parties
that have been up to it in their eyeballs in all this for the
greater part of this last 32 years. So the only way to cleanse
Queensland politics is by electing Goss. I believe that's what
will happen.
JOURNALIST: Are you predicting a close victory or
PM: No, you'd be silly to be talking about landslides. I think
on all the private indications I've got as well as the public
polling I think it will be a clear victory. But
JOURNALIST: chance, or roughly.
PM: Yes, it's of that sort of order, 52 can do it. And of course
it depends upon how the vote is actually distributed between
electorates. I mean we'vo seen a pattern of politics in
Australia over the last few years where you can get quite
sophisticated distributions within electorates. But all I can
say is on all the evidence available to me I think that
Queenslanders do know what the issue is. That is, do we want to
get rid of corrupt government yes. How do we do it? Is there
any way other than voting for Goss answer, no. Therefore,
conclusion I believe Goss will be elected.
JOURNALIST: On another subject, if I could just ask your
feelings on the possibility of the pilots rejoining the
arbitration system
PM: I've made it quite clear all along that that's what I wanted
them to do. I mean from the beginning of this issue I urged
them, don't go outside the system. That was Hawke's consistent
position. I said stay in the system, you can't operate outside
it and we will not accept the position of your operating outside
it. Now they wouldn't accept that advice at the beginning. It
looks as though after all this trauma that they've inflicted on
themselves and on the country, it looks as though they understand
that it's only in the system. Now what they've done is lodged
the application. Obviously the Commission will have to consider
it. The Commission has said there are three conditions that
they'll need to abide by. I trust that the AFAP will do that
because at no point have I wanted to see a smashing of the AFAP.
Quite the contrary. My position would be if they accept those
conditions that the Commission has laid down, conditions may I
say which are not special for the AFAP. They're the same as
every other organisation has to abide by. I hope they'll accept
those conditions and that then they'll make an application to be
bound and that the Commission will hear that and make the
decision on its merits. In that way what will happen is what
should've happened, as I've said, from the very beginning.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, have you got anything to say about the
Aquino government and its problems?
PM: Yes, I can say that I've been kept nformedjfrom early this
morning about developments and the advice that I have is that the
Aquino government should survive. The President seems to have
the support of the majority, the significant majority of the
armed forces. That's the latest report I've got. I have sent
a message to President Aquino indicating of course the support
of the Australian Government and people for her duly elected
government. JOURNALIST: Mr Hawke, with the election date. When are you
making your announcement?
PM: Oh mate, good try.
JOURNALIST: You alluded in there before that you might make an
announcement within the next few weeks.
PM: I didn't. I said I couldn't give you a scoop here. But
good try. I'Id love to be able to do it in Warragul but I'm sorry
mate, sorry.
ends