PM Transcripts

TRANSCRIPT OF' THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP, DARWIN, FEBRUARY 19 1992
E& OE PROOF COPY
J: Prime Minister, what did you discuss in your meeting
with Mar-shall Perron?
PM: We discussed a number of things including the railway
and I toild him of the railway that if there is a
project developer of substance, if the economics of the
line change with low inflation and higher potential of
freight usage from the last study we did in the middle
of the 1980s, then the Commonwealth would look at it.
But it has to be more than good intentions by the
Northern~ Territory Government to put in a modest amount
of money, good intentions by the Commonwealth and good
intenticons by a railway builder. There has to be a
project financier developer, and at this stage we can't
quite see one. So in other words if the Northern
Territory community can't carry the cost of the
railway, which of course it couldn't, if there is no
serious project developer the Commonwealth would simply
be picking uip the cost of it, which of course the
Commonwealth isn't prepared to do. But it is prepared
to look at a commercial project. So if the economics
of the project has changed materially, if there is a
company of substance or a consortium of substance,
other than someone simply wanting to build a railway
line, that is other than railway builders, then we will
look at it.
J: ( inaudible)
PM: Considering the history of 50 years ago, obviously very
well. Japan is now Australia's major trading partner.
We are now seeing a lot of Japanese people coming to
this country. Australia is much more part of Asia than
it was then and therefore the transformation has been
quite remarkable. But I think Japan has also got to
acknowledge, candidly, its past and in that sense come
to terms: with its neighbours as well as it has
commercially and industrially.
J: Northern Territory in the February Statement?
PM: Well you'll-have to wait until the February statement
for that. I
ends