PRIME MINISTER1
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING MP
DOORSTOP, MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, SYDNEY
JANUARY 1995
E& OE PROOF COPY
PMV: I am quite happy to respond to any questions you might have.
J: Mr Downer~ s difficulties how do you feel about the prospect of facing John
Howard across the floor?
PMV: I keep saying and let me be entirely consistent and say again the
problem with the Uberal Party Is not the jockey, but the horse. The Uberal
Party Is now seriously rent by divisions, even In this latest episode more
bad blood has been created It Is a party divided In Itseif, It now lacks a
philosophy, It doesn't know what It wishes to do with Australia. It Is in much
the same state as the UAP was In the early 1940s, and Mr Howard's return
will only continue the fracas that has existed every year since he claimed
the leadership for the first time.
J: Would you be determined in your own words to crucify him?
PMV: I will not respond to silly pap questions like that.
J: But would you....
PM: But let me just say John Howard will try to take Australia back to the
country and the values he believes In, which will all be about rugged
Individualism Initially, and then private reward fracturing that sense of nation
and unity, that sense of compassion for those not as well off those
egalitarian values which make Australia. The Important thing Is In this
turmoil In the U-beral Party I think It Is Important for the public to know that
the Government has Its hand well and truly on the rudder. And that
Australia has just completed probably Its best economic year since the War
W1% growth and 2% Inflation, the highest employment growth after any
recession we have ever had, the highest productivity growth probably In
years, and I hope to see the continuation of that through 1995. So, they
may be the cork bobbing around, but the Government has a sure hand In
the directions the country is taking.
J: Prime Minister, do you expect to see the resurfacing of the immigration
debate now that John Howard Is back In town?
PM: John Howard will try and remake himself when he was asked after those
remarks on Immigration to withdraw them, he said " not on your life". The
Australian pamphleteering for him a week or so ago gave him the
opportunity of what he called an apology... look, John Howard hasn't
changed his views. When John says he didn't mean it, you say : sure you
didn't Johnny sure you didn't".
J: Prime Minister, are you tempted to go to a snap poll?
PM: Well about as tempted as I have been by every other question Inviting me
to do that.
J: Prime Minister on Arthur Boyd as Australian of the Year?
PM: Arthur Is a great Australian a great figure and a great interpreter of the
Australian landscape, and of the Australian soul I think. A person who
understood much about the ethos of Australia, and created that diversity
perhaps unity in his painting between Australia the old ancient country
of Australia. this landscape, and the European civillisation where most of us
are from. And I think he has been singularly successful at that, and the
prodigious energy in his retrospective just a year or so ago, you could see
how over 60 years just how much this man has produced, and how he has
Interpreted our lives.
J: It's true, though, that he is more of an English resident these days?
PM: But look at the pictures they are all about the Australian bush, they're all
about Australian legends, and they are all about things that seek to define
this country.
J: What did you think about. inaudible. comments about changing Australia
Day do you have any sympathy for that?
PM: Well, the 26th of January has that historic presence about it, but I think that
the whole country is understanding more now particularly post-Mabo
about reconciliation, about us being one nation and one country, and this Is
a matter, no doubt, that over time Australians will think about and maybe
meet John's view.
ends.