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Ladies and Gentlemen. I have called this news conference this afternoon
to announce that the Government has decided to provide assistance
to Australian exporters. And therefore to support Australian jobs
in relation to Australia's export trade with Indonesia.
We will provide, on the basis of a case-by-case analysis in relation
to the whole gamut of Australia's export trade with Indonesia,
short-term insurance on a national interest account for Australian
exporters to Indonesia through EFIC.
This plan, which will provide direct support to Australian exporters
and therefore Australian jobs, is in the context of an export trade
that Australia has with Indonesia of over $3 billion a year. It will,
as I mentioned, be on a case-by-case basis of all the alternatives
that were in front of the Government. Doing it on a case-by-case basis
is the best way of ensuring that the support is delivered on a proper
basis to Australian exporters and therefore is of benefit to Australian
employees and to Australian jobs.
I want to stress that it is in the context of a very important trade
that we have with Indonesia. And at a time like this, when our exporters
are facing fierce, even on occasions actively avaricious competition
from United States exporters into Indonesia who are not being shy
in the export methods being employed in order to gain access to the
Indonesian market. It is very important that my Government and that
Australia stands up for the interest of Australian exporters, and
therefore of Australian jobs. And that is the basis upon which the
decision has been taken.
The other matters that I want to mention in the context of Indonesia
and economic developments in Asia generally, are that the Government
is taking a number of other measures to support exporters. And these
include a series of ‘exporter summits' to be convened on
a group-by-group basis by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Trade, Mr Fischer. And these are all designed to maximise, where appropriate,
cooperation and activity to maximise Australian interests in the various
commodity and other export sectors.
We are going to consult Indonesian officials to finalise these arrangements.
And I would stress that further details about the arrangements concerning
the export insurance and guarantees can be obtained through EFIC.
It is part of the on-going and active response of the Government to
what is occurring, not only in Indonesia but also in the Asian area
generally. The domestic economic measures the Government has taken
has provided us with immense protection against the worst effects
of what has happened in Asia but it is also necessary in the context
of that response for us on a case-by-case basis to look to the needs
of our exporters and of the Australians that they employ.
I will be happy to answer any questions.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, is there any diplomatic or trade measures that Australia
can take to counter what you called the avaricious credit schemes
offered by the United States?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, there are and a number of those are under consideration. I don't
want to overdramatise that but we are concerned that there is evidence
that some United States activity is designed to take advantage of
the situation and I certainly won't be silent, nor will my Government
be silent in saying what needs to be said in order to counteract that
because we are there to defend the interests of Australians and Australians
alone, and it's very necessary against that backdrop and in the
context of our very large trade with Indonesia for us to take the
action that I have announced this morning and that's not of course
the end of the matter. There are other steps that one can take to
express our concerns and they are under consideration.
JOURNALIST:
What funds have you made available?
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
What funds have you allocated to this?
PRIME MINISTER:
This is going to be done on a case-by-case basis, Paul. We haven't
put a cap on it but obviously, we will look at each individual proposal
and that's the most intelligent way of doing it.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, what about other nations in the region? Will you be looking
at the same sort of system for other places?
PRIME MINISTER:
We've already taken action to help our exporters into Korea and
this, in a sense, is in the same genre.
JOURNALIST:
Have you contacted the Indonesians yourself in relation to this decision?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, that would be done through the normal channels. You should bear
in mind that when Mr Downer was in Jakarta a number of issues were
discussed, and this was one of them but of course this is help for
Australians, and Australian jobs and that is a very, very important
thing to bear in mind.
JOURNALIST:
Is there anything that the Government can do through the WTO?
PRIME MINISTER:
In relation to what?
JOURNALIST:
To the US credit scheme.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we are gathering material about what is happening. Let me put
it that way.
JOURNALIST:
Do you have evidence that Australian jobs have already been lost through
the problems in Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't have any hard evidence of that but it is at a stage,
Andrew, where we are gathering information and I don't want to
say anything that would preclude a different answer, when we have
gathered that information.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister has the Indonesian Government provided any guarantees?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, they will, a condition of it will be a sovereign guarantee. Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, are you worried about the way the Americans are approaching
this, particularly with farm exports? Mr Anderson said yesterday they
appeared to be offering credit on terms outside IMF arrangements to
get business.
PRIME MINISTER:
Anything that unfairly prejudices Australian interests or Australian
exporters or Australian jobs worries me and I will, of course, see
that everything that can reasonably be done in that area will be done.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, how can you justify allowing a conscience vote on
a matter to do with the structure of government. Is there any precedent
for that, that you are aware of?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think there is any precedent for this whole debate. So
we're writing the rule book afresh, with a clean page. I don't
think there is any precedent you can draw and I think the talk about
precedent, in the context of this debate, is a contradiction in terms.
JOURNALIST:
But these are highly unusual matters to allow a conscience vote...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we have never had a debate like this before. I don't think
this is highly unusual at all. I think it is common sense.
JOURNALIST
Is it likely to happen more often on issues fundamental to government?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think we will have another constitutional debate like
this while I am still around. So your successor can ask my successor
in the year 2100 and something-or-other, about it.
JOURNALIST:
Which model now, do you think, is likely to succeed, now that we know...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have never disguised my own views about a direct election.
As to what will ultimately get up, I think we will have to wait and
see.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the McGarvie model is...
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, I think it is too early. I mean everybody wanted to discuss
this and they wanted to have a free, open debate and I....
JOURNALIST:
Did Bill Hayden's intervention today suprise you? He seems now
to think that unless a direct election comes up the people won't
wear it and they have got every right not to.
PRIME MINISTER:
In his intervention yesterday?
JOURNALIST:
Oh well, no. He called a news conference today.
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry I haven't caught up with that. I have been working for
the Australian people this morning on other matters.
JOURNALIST:
Will you campaign one way or the other during a referendum?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, don't press me on what I am going to do at a referendum
after the next election, when we are only three days into the convention,
which has got another seven or eight days to go. Break it down Dennis.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, do you have any views on Professor Geoffrey Blainey's
attack on Sir William Deane this morning?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't seen the speech.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the retail trade data was released today, did you
get a chance to look at that and what does that mean to the Australian
economy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think the economy will survive, survive the figures. I think
you have to look at the totality of the economic statistics. I think
the totality is that we have very strong domestic growth and that
even in the strongest of economic circumstances you will get figures
that are sometimes going this way or sometimes going that way. But,
if you look at the broad sweep - if I can put it that way - of what
has happened to the Australian economy over the last six months, you
see a steady, inexorable strengthening of the foundations of the Australian
economy and an economy that is standing up very well to the turmoil
that is occurring in our part of the world.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible] falling retail trade indicate that demand isn't as
strong as we thought before?
PRIME MINISTER:
You know from time immemorial, Treasurers, Prime Ministers, Opposition
Leaders and Shadow spokesmen, when they are sensible, have said that
you shouldn't read too much into one month's figures.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, the Hindmarsh Island case is back in the courts tomorrow,
do you regard this as another unnecessary delay in what has already
been a fairly lengthy saga?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think it is appropriate for the Prime Minister to talk
about delays and so forth in the context of the hearing by the High
Court. I respect the role of the court in our system and I certainly
don't intend to make any comment. I think it would be quite wrong
of me to make any comment about this issue on the eve of it being
heard by Their Honours.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the Ombudsman has released a report very critical
of the process by which the Government was provided modelling on which
it based its position at the Kyoto greenhouse conference. Is it appropriate
for member bodies of ABARE to be charged $50,000 to sit on steering
committees.
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm having that report looked at and until I've had an analysis
of it, I'm not going to comment.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what's your view of Tony Abbott's change
of heart?
PRIME MINISTER:
What's my view of Tony Abbott's change of heart? Well, you
should ask Tony Abbott. I thought you people would love the idea of
a free or open vote. I thought that was one of the holy grails of
Australian journalism to see political parties having free and open
votes and consciences blooming and being liberated on a whole miscellany
of things. And here I do it and, what, can't you handle it?
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, is the Government looking at measures...
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon.
JOURNALIST:
Is the Government looking at measures for other Asian countries like
the assistance...
PRIME MINISTER:
The answer is that you have to deal on a case-by-case merit of the
situation, merits of the proposition approach. I can't answer
that in any other way because it's not something you can have
a blanket policy for. That is not sensible. We are concerned to protect
and defend the interests of Australian exporters and Australian jobs.
That's our first concern. We also have a sense of understanding
and an empathy with our friends and neighbours in the region who are
suffering a great deal from this economic downturn and we want to
help where we can, consistent with our own interests and with our
capacity. And if you look at what Australia has done over the last
three or four months, Australia has been a splendid regional citizen.
A splendid regional citizen. We've also quite properly looked
to the interests of Australian workers and Australian exporters and
they're the principles that we'll continue to apply to what
we do.
JOURNALIST:
Going back to Mr Hayden. His view a few hours ago was that the Convention
is degenerating into a fiasco. How do you see the Convention going
so far?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it's been rather good so far and I've enjoyed it.
I thought the gathering on Monday, I thought the social gathering
on Monday night, both were splendid occasions. There was a sense of
cooperation, a sense of commitment to Australia, a desire on the part
of people, no matter what their diversities might be, to work together
for the betterment of our country. I believe people have come together
in a good spirit. And I've found in my own exchanges with people,
even those of the delegates who are the proverbial country mile away
from me on just about every issue, have been very civil.
JOURNALIST:
Not a fiasco then.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, no, no.
JOURNALIST:
Do you approve of Mr Corrigan's not telling the truth on the
involvement of Patrick and Dubai?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'm a Prime Minister. I don't give a running commentary
on every corporate citizen of Australia. But if you want to go ask
Mr Corrigan something about Mr Corrigan, you go ahead and do so.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think it's helpful for the waterfront...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think what is helpful is to remember what is at stake here.
And that is whether we're going to create more jobs and boost
exports by fixing up the waterfront. And everything else, as far as
I'm concerned, is a sideshow and irrelevance. And let me say
again on behalf of my Government, we changed the law to enable people
to provide more competition on the waterfront. We did that deliberately
because we believe it's in the interests of Australian jobs and
Australian exporters. And I will applaud and my Government will support
in the appropriate way anybody who is prepared to provide more competition
on the waterfront, provided at all times people act in accordance
with the law. I mean, that's our position. Everything else is
irrelevant. It's a sideshow. It's of no account. The only
thing that matters is promoting Australian jobs and the Australian
economy by fixing the chronic inefficiency of the Australian waterfront.
And the overwhelming bulk of Australians want that to happen. And
those who stand in the way of progress, those who look back to a bygone
era that is crumbling in front of their eyes are out of touch with
the overwhelming sentiment in the Australian community.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, how do you reconcile that with the Government's
strong support for the other three monopolies on the waterfront -
the wheat, barley and sugar marketing monopolies?
PRIME MINISTER:
There's a world of difference.
JOURNALIST:
Should Mark Waugh have walked?
PRIME MINISTER:
Now I will allow an extra question. When you actually look at the
video, the replay, and you look at the rules, I think the decision
taken by the third umpire was right. He clearly was not playing a
stroke. Clearly wasn't. I mean, it did sort of flop and I thought
his explanation was eminently plausible. And if you look at it, he
wasn't playing a shot and the rules are very clear. I can understand,
I suppose, with the excitement and the adrenalin, how the South Africans
reacted and I think they have been splendid sportsmen. They really
have been. They're a terrific group of people and it has been
a great contest. And I hope that the next time Australia meets South
Africa there are five Tests. I want a five Test series between Australia
and South Africa next time around.
So the short answer is, no. Thank you.
[Ends]