E&OE....................................................................................................
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, thank you for your time. Now you are doing the hard
sell in Queensland. How are you gauging the feelings at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
Very positive. This plan's greatest appeal is that it will
be good for the whole of Australia. It will reduce the cost of producing
goods and services in Australia and that will make it more competitive
and stronger, and generate more jobs. Its benefit for all Australians
is its most appealing feature.
JOURNALIST:
Well, let's look at Queensland though. Queensland is crucial
to the survival of your Government at the next election and we all
know what happened at the State poll humiliation. What makes
you think that you can turn that around and sell this tax to Queenslanders?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well just put the politics aside. The benefit for Queensland of
this package is enormous. It's the most decentralised State
in Australia and it will benefit more than any other State from
the huge cuts in fuel costs. I can't understand why Mr Beattie
is against it. He should be grabbing it with open arms. It is a
huge boon to Queensland.
JOURNALIST:
You are trying to sell to a very very cynical electorate.
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't found them cynical, I've found them interested.
It is not just a tax cut. The days of having tax cuts without reform
are gone because they just disappear, but what you want is an integrated
plan to make the system work better.
JOURNALIST:
Well, like it or not One Nation is on the rise in Queensland. We
had Pauline Hanson coming out today saying she didn't believe
it was good for middle Australia. What do you have to say about
her comments? You were fairly scathing earlier today.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the ones I've heard she just doesn't have the facts
correct.
JOURNALIST:
So she doesn't understand.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, what I heard this morning was wrong on every score just about.
The suggestion that it is bad for self-funded retirees is wrong.
It makes it harder for overseas tax dodgers to take place, the suggestion
that foreign investors are let off lightly is wrong. It is very
good for middle Australia because you will now be able to increase
your income from $20,000 a year to $50,000 a year without going
into a higher tax bracket. That is a huge bonanza for middle Australia.
JOURNALIST:
Well, she is coming out with a tax package later today, do you think
she can come up with anything better than you've come up with?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
In one word, no. Okay. What about, there seems to be some cynicism
about the 10% -guaranteeing the 10%. Can you really do that?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think you can get a stronger guarantee than requiring
the agreement of every State Government and both Houses of the Federal
Parliament and the Federal Government. My experience in 24 years
is if that hasn't happened then it is not likely to happen
in the future.
JOURNALIST:
But you haven't convinced the National Party national president
Don McDonald and he came out today and said why not a referendum,
lock it into the constitution?
PRIME MINISTER:
Mr McDonald last night said he thought the present mechanism was
fine.
JOURNALIST:
Well, this is what he said today: lock it into the constitution.
Is that not a good idea?
PRIME MINISTER:
You don't need to do that because the mechanism we have is
quite adequate.
JOURNALIST:
So we should believe you -10% will stay?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely.
JOURNALIST:
Okay. Just getting back to the cynical electorate, I mean, we get
a lot of calls, I heard you on radio this morning. There was a lot
of aggression out there that people aren't going to be better
off.
PRIME MINISTER:
You've got to bear in mind that on talk back radio some calls
are organised.
JOURNALIST:
Certainly I understand that, but you've got the Newspoll, every
Newspoll is different, but it looks like the nation is quite clearly
divided. You have a huge job on your hands.
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't take too much notice of the polls. I tend to judge
the community's mood by my dealing with people. The message
I get is that people are interested, they like the idea that it
is for the good of the whole country. They are worried about the
country's future and they want more information and we are
providing them with that information through an education campaign.
JOURNALIST:
Okay Prime Minister. My understanding is that you could win or lose
on Queensland's votes at the federal poll. You are convinced
that you can convince us that this is good for us.
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm seeking to persuade all Australians, not just Queenslanders,
but all Australians that this is good for their country and that's
its great appeal because it will make us a more competitive stronger
country into the 21st Century and that more than anything
is why I would like people to support it.
JOURNALIST:
All right we'll be seeing a lot you up until now and October
when the rumoured election date is.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I haven't decided when the election is but I come to
Queensland regularly no matter what the electoral calender is and
no matter what the policy issue is. I've been a regular visitor
to Queensland in the 24 years that I have been in public life. Now
is no different.
JOURNALIST:
All right Prime Minister, thank you for your time.
[Ends]