r i ; 3 rmcvO rr I cc crlrl'" V PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, HYATT ON COLLINS, 25 MARCH
1990 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIaST: Prime Minister, is there any doubt in your mind
about the outcome?
PM: I believe we're going tO win, but I must observe the
proprieties. The Qoujjt is not finished. What I am saying
ia that on our beat judgement in regard to the seats still
not deoided that the best bet is that we will emerge with a
majority. JOURNALIST: Where did it go wrong for Labor, given that
it's going
PM: Well, the answer, the enswer to that Is quite obvious
isn't it? I mean, you don't need to be a genius to know
that if you put Victoria to one side, it woo virtually a
status quo election.
JOURNALIST: Did Mr Caln ring with his apologies this
morning? PM: I don't respond to that question.
JOURNALIST: ( inaudible)
PM: Beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST: What was the big issue here in Victorla?
PM; Well, there seem to have been a number of issues. We
b d that long stoppage involving the transport system and
tot me say that one of my casualties, one of my Victorian
casualties with whom I've spoen this morning, said he was
soratched, scratch ticket out of the, out of the election in
his judgement that that coat him the election now. So
there were a number of factora.
JOURNALIST; Prime Minister, State issues were
responsible prlmarily for the appalling result in Victoria?
PM: Well, what I'm saying is that as far as Federal issues
were concerned, I think that probably Viotoria was no more
affected by them than the rest of Australia. There's no
reason why they should have been and if you put Victoria to
One side and look at the outcome,, it's virtually a status
quo with some losses and offset by gains. Here in Victoria
it seoms to be the assessment, if you watched John Howard
lout night, John HIoward was making quite clear what his
assessment was, my own people are making that assessment.
Now, In putting that, lym not trying to just say well, we
only lost seats S-n Victoria because of State issues. We
could have lost seats in Victoria if the Victorian
Government had been running, running as a very popular
Government which it woon't, but the extent of the lose in
Victoria seem$ to me very mvch a result of State factors,
JOURNALISTi ( inaudible)
PM: Beg your pardon?
0 JOURNALIST: What does the result mean for the National
Party? PM: Well, I would think one thing you can say with
certainty it means a change of loader.
3OURNALIMT When will you be able to assure Autai'
neighbours and allies that Australia does have a stable
Government? PMt I think they know that now.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what in fact do you think the
elevation of Carmen Lawrence to the Premiership in WA has?
PM I can't quontify it. it was obviously a plus.
JOURALIST: The transport reforms In Victoria example
of micro economio reform. How does this auger well for your
determination to push ahead with such reform?
PM: Wall, in judging my Government on micro economic
reforms you don't have to look at systems In Victoria.
I repeat the statement that I've mae which hoe remained
unchallenged throughout this campaign. I've done more with
my colleagues in micro economic reform than has ever been
done before in this country and we will continue apace with
micro economic reform.
JOURN~ ALIST: Was you policy suggesting that in fact the
Victorian Government shouldn't have gone ahead with those
sort of reforms
PM: I think that there were arguments about not just what
was done, but the way things were 0one and so on, but what
we're about is in the Federal scene and I have a method with
my colleagues of consultation and that has worked. I mean,
the best illustration of that, I think, was that If you look
at the, at the waterfront. During the campaign itself you
had employers and users of our waterfront industry meeting,
actually during the campaign and making the judgement.
Saying, firstly, applause to the Hawke Labor Government for
What they'd done, b) what they were, as a way they were
doing it and, c) saying that our approach was the way to go
as compared with the way the Oppoaition woe talking. So
we've, we've got the, not only runs on the board but the
procedure recommends iteelf to the people who are involved.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given that you are acting in
only a caretaker capacity, where does that leave any
approach to the Reaerve Bank on interest rates?
PM: It means that no no approach will be made to the
Reserve Bank until I move from being caretaker to going Into
the fourth term.
JOURNALI4ST: So in other words any hope that people might
have had for a reduction within a couple of weeks may now be
extended by a couple of weeks possibly?
PM: I don't see, I don't follow your arithmetic. I don't
believe that it's going to be two weeks before I'm confirmed
in my fourth term.
JOURNALIST; When do you think that will be Mr Hlawke?
FMt Well I can't be absolutely precise about that. This is
a matter, in the end, for the electoral authorities, but I
would hope that by the, by the end of this week ahead of us
that we'd be in that position.
JOURNALIST: interest rates will Come dlown by a
perentage point in a few weeks time?
PM: I've answered those questions, I've got nothing more to
add to that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what would you have done
differently? PM: In the campaign?
JOURNALIST: Yes.
PM4: Nothing that I can think of. I hope that that don't
sound arrogant, but I look back over it and obviously there
are one or two things that you would, would marginally
W1henge, but I made a clear decision before the election
started which waa this that there were things I wanted to
do and to promise to the people in this election, but that I
wanted to make sure that in funding terms I had made the
savings that would enable us to do that. So we sot down and
did a lot of hard work in the Expenditure Review Committee,
confirmed by the Cabinet, as to savings. Once I knew I had
those savings then 1, with my colleagues, worked 6ut the
funded promises we could make. Now that set the framework
for Labor. I was able to go into thle campaign with a
promise, a plan, a vision, funded for the future and I
believe that was the right way to go and it certainly set
the contrast with our opponents who still think that you can
bribe the Australian electorate with billions of dollars of
unfunded promises. so the basic framework I wouldn't, I
wouldn't change. An I Baid with a little bit of flippancy
on Friday when I was asked a similar question, I said well
if I'd known how It would have been interpreted I wouldn't
have had my tantrum of temper, as it was put, anld sea of
microphones at the opera House which was, by the deep
analysis of so many of you as seen as Hlawke out of control.
I mean, I wouldn't have given you that opportunity for
mimanalysis. I mean, I mean, I hate to have misled you.
It's not fair of me.
JOURNALIST: You believe the debato over the HFP had any
effect on the outcome?
PM: Well all I can say on that question about the debate on
the tWP is that I'm very, very pleased to say that I was
told In the end that, as far as could be ascertained, the,
the MFP debate had not hurt us and that would confirm my
judgemtent about the Australian people, But I went to
JOURNALIST; ( inaudible)
PM: Well, can I finish? I want to say that the card that
was played in the campaign and my opponents know the card
and what the card was and why they played it was an
exitremely unfortunate event, I think one of the moot
unfortunate events, in, in the post war history of Australia
and x.' m glad that my judgement of the Australian people on
theee issues has been confirmed.
JOURNALIST: Will. it be a Hawke/ Keating leadership team
going into the n~ ext election, Mr Hawke?
PM! Well Hawke will be the Prime Minister. The Deputy
0 Prime Minister is a matter for decision by the, by the
Ca~ uu. I'mf pleased to see that Paul seems to be
reconsidering his view, he seemed to have Indicated earlier
that he may not be interested in the Deputy Prime
MinistershipI he seems to be reconsidering that. So it will
be a matter whether he decides to stand. If he stands, he
obviously stands with a very good chance.
JOURNALISTI: tip for the team on the other aide, Prime
Minister going into the next election?
PM: Well, X always in this political analyais look to
history as a basis for informing my mind, and I look at
their history. I think we may have come to the and of the
hirdy gir-dy syndrome, so this time arounld it's John Howard,
this time around it's Andrew, this time around It's John
Howard. I think we've probably come to the end of the hirdy
girdy. They'll change their game probably a bit
mischievous of me to really speculate, but I'm feeling
slightly mischievous after a long night's sleep I would
have thought that the, the moat likely sort of candidates
that are emerging. and who would have been now on the
I r . rq-Wor c VCfl T~
telephone for hours and hours and hours, would be John
Howson, rred Chaney they'V6 probably spent more time on
the telephone both ringing and being rung and if they were
betting, I would bet Hewson emerging as the leader. NOW for
the quinella I'm not quite sure, but it may bet it may be a
Hewton/ McLachlen quinella.
JOURNALIST: Do you think you now vindicated with John Stone
having beaten you for the Rhodes scholarship back
PM: Well, you know, one day you'll get it right, one day
you'll get it right. I was never a candidate against John
Stone for the Rhodes scholarship. I mean, that's now
nearly 40 years ago. You know, I've been telling people,
You know, the facts about this thing. But suppose,
reasonable hope that in 50 years, in half a century you
might get it right.
JOURNALIST: How do you foal about Janine Haines bowing out
Of politics and also her claim that it was dirty tricks
campaign? PM: Well, I think, let me say this, I think that Janine
Hainee, you know, she's not my pin-up politician, but 1, I
look, no, no, let me say this, I think that Janine Haines
did show a lot of courage. I think she showed a lot of
courage in having a go and I think she is to be applauded
for that. I alwayS felt confident that Gordon Bhlney would
come through and, as you know, I'm not speaking after the
event now, I said all along that I thought Gordon would get
through and may I take this opportunity of publicly
congratVlating him and his team of supporters for their
steadfastness. But I applaud Janine Hfaines for her courage
and the fact that she's now having a little bit of, you
know, post defeat complaints about others, well, that's
understandable. JOURNALIST; Are you worried about how the markets might
react during this week oE uncertainty?
PM: No, no.
JOURNALIST: Do you think Mr Peacock's delaying the
inevitable by not conceding?
PM: Well, that's for, that's for Mr Peacock and those
&" round him. Suffice it for me to conduct myself in the way
that I think is eppropriate.
JOURNALIST: What's required now for the rebuilding process
here in Victoria?
PM: Well, the understanding that next time round we'll win
a lot Of these seats back, as I'm sure we will and I have
already tried to speak to as many of the casualties as I
could, there's two or three I've got to yet speak to, but
I'm impressed by their commitment, which is an important
port of the answer to your question. They haven't dropped
3, r-r-~ V V o10r-r-1CC C r1r4 0 T = L ' 1 -Q V~ Z:-T
IIU I ILLLUUVI IL
their bundle and I'm also impteased by the pride they have
in Labor's national achievement. It really warmed me this
morning to speak to these people who've been beaten and they
recognise the particularity of Victoria, but they had a
great sense of pride in Labor's national achievement and
that was greet.
JOURNALIST: Is there any of those casualties that you're
sorriest to see go?
PM: No, that would be invidious to people. I have come in
Sevenl years to appreciate all my colleagues. I mean it Is
true that in the earlier stagea of our Government I guess
the factionalism and the edges of factionalitm were a bit
sharper then. But I've come to appreciate the merit * of all
my colleagues and they have, in their various ways, I think,
represented their constituencies very well, with commitment,
with integrity and I'll miss them all.
OOURNALIST: Mr Hawks, how do you think you'll be able to
work with Ted Mack and Helen Caldiott if they're there?
PM: The first thing that one must say to that, the degree
of work that will need to be done with them will obviously
depond upon the outcome in the number of seats. it our
majority in part depended upon them we'll obviously have to
get a very specific modis I am hopeful that we'll have
a majority in out own right. But I will obviously take the
opportunity at an appropriately early time to speak with
them if they would want to speak with me and I think I'll be
able to have a oivilised relationship with them.
JOURNALIST: Could Mrs Hawks tell us how she feels about the
election result?
MRS HAWKE: I feel Very happy about it. There's a tinge of
sadness of course about Victoria but I think that nationally
the Labor Party has done very well. And I think, in the
end, I agree with Bob that they, they are pretty good
Judges. ends -a%