PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, REVESBY WORKERS CLUB,
SYDNEY 19 AUGUST 1990
E OE PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you that shots have been
fired?
PM: Very concerned. I continue to express the hope that
good sense will prevail on the part of the Iraqi
leadership because, as I've said consistently, all
sensible analysis should lead the Iraqi leadership to
concede that the best interests of their own people
involves their withdrawal from Kuwait. I repeat what I
have consistently said if they believe they have some
legitimate grievances with their neighbour, then there
exist mechanisms, peaceful mechansims whereby these
issues can be considered and decisions made.
JOURNALIST: Any Australian hostages, as you know, in
military installations?
PM: Well we don't know about disposition but we do know
now that the Iraqi authorities have indicated to our
representatives that the same arrangements apply to
Australians as they've now sought to impose upon the
Americans and the British. We have some, as far as we
can ascertain in broad terms, about 80 Australians in
Kuwait and about 70 in Iraq. All I can say is that our
diplomatic authorities have been consistently and
persistently putting to the Iraqi authorities our grave
concern, our repudiation of this action that they're
attempting to take.
JOURNALIST: What about the Budget? How much pressure is
the crisis putting on plans for that?
PM: Well I wouldn't say enormous pressure, but obviously
it does involve some recalculations. But as I've said
earlier today, it's difficult to put firm figures on it
because one has to make a whole series of assumptions
about how long the crisis would last. Particularly also
you've got to make assumptions about what will be done in
regard to trying to fill the four million barrels per day
shortfall that's involved in the loss of Iraqi and
Kuwaiti supplies. That is capable of being made up and
we just can't be sure about what will happen in this
respect.
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JOURNALIST: Are you prepared to do any deals to free any
Australian hostages?
PM: You can't do deals, but I hope that as distinct from
deals, that the pressure of world opinion which I think
is virtually unanimous outside Iraq on this will1 bring
good sense to bear. What did you say about Mr Griffiths?
JOURNALIST: He says that there's going to be a backlash
from Caucus about the speed at which you decided to send
troops to the Gulf and the manner which
PM: ( inaudible)
JOURNALIST: The Resources Minister.
PM: Did he?
JOURNALIST: Do you agree that you're going to have some
sort of trouble with the Caucus about the way the
decision was arrived at?
PM: No I wouldn't believe so. We had a unanimous
position in Cabinet about it and I don't believe there
are any problems.
JOURNALIST: Dr Hewson' s asked today for you to make a
Parliamentary statement next week about
PM: I don't need the Leader of the Opposition to tell me
how to conduct my affairs. There'll be a statement to
Parliament, and our intention was to do that anyway. We
don't need Dr Hewson to tell us how to run our affairs.
He's got enough problems in his own Opposition. Let him
concentrate on that.
JOURNALIST: Will you consult full Cabinet for any future
decisions? PM: It's already been announced.
ends