E&OE..............................................................................................
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, what do you hope to achieve on your trip?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I hope to have the opportunity of talking about the commitment
we have to an orderly and peaceful resolution of the difficulties
in East Timor. It's important to understand what Australia can
achieve. It's also important to understand that Timor is part
of Indonesia and it's absolutely essential if progress is to
be made that we engage the Indonesian government in a very positive
and constructive way.
JOURNALIST:
How hard are you going to push for disarmament given there's
been somewhat of a threat if we send Australian troops over there?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it's very important on a mission like this that you don't
start setting public conditions, you start laying down in public exactly
what you're going to say and what you're going to do. It's
important also that we have a realistic sense of what Australia can
achieve. There are too many people who talk rather carelessly about
what Australia might do without understanding that in international
affairs it's influence in the end that counts, and those who
believe that Australia should do other than exert influence really
have an obligation of saying what that is. And it's very important
that we have a realistic assessment of what can be achieved.
JOURNALIST:
Would you include in that those who've said that we should be
pushing for a presence of UN peacekeeping troops, and that maybe we
should use our defence ties for example, or the Timor Gap oil treaty
as bargaining chips, to get a bit leverage?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I can't think of anything more counterproductive to what
is to take place tomorrow than for me to start talking about bargaining
chips and putting this or that aspect of the relationship on the table.
It is in the national interest of Australia that we have a close association
with Indonesia. It is also in the national interest of Australia that
that relationship be based on an understanding by Indonesia of our
values and also an understanding by Australia of Indonesia's
position. And an understanding of the fact that the leadership of
Indonesia is grappling with a horrendous challenge. Over 200 million
people, the worst economic downturn in 40 years, tens of millions
of people in that country living in absolute poverty. Now they are
the sort of challenges that should be understood, and the implications
of them for what Indonesia can do in relation to Timor should also
be understood. That of course, there's not in any way gainsay,
the immense concern we feel for the loss of life, for the bloodshed,
and the denial of human rights that's clearly occurred. But we
have to have a sense of balance, and also an understanding of what
has been achieved by the Indonesian government, under Dr Habibie's
leadership over the last 6 or 9 months.
JOURNALIST:
Will General Wiranto turn up, and if he doesn't what does that
mean?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, who comprises the Indonesian delegation is a matter for the
Indonesian government. I'm told that General Wiranto will be
present.
JOURNALIST:
Someone said though that if he's not there it means a bit of
slap in the face for President Habibie, and may even mean that he
doesn't exert the influence that perhaps he would like to.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm not going to comment on every bit of trivia written
about this meeting.
JOURNALIST:
There's also on the death of Arthur Boyd, some comments.....
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I do. He was one of the greatest Australian painters of the 20th
century, and his death does leave a very significant void in the visual
art world. He was also a very philanthropic Australian and he demonstrated
by the gift of his Bundanon property to the Australian people, and
his other activities that he believed in public philanthropy. And
in doing that he set an example to many other Australians but he'll
be best remembered for the way in which he helped interpret and helped
many Australians come to better understand the Australian landscape.
He was by any measure a world class painter, and one of the greatest
that Australian has produced this century.
JOURNALIST:
One other thing, with the cricket team copping a little bit of a hiding
over there. What have you got to say about that being a cricket fan...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have just listened to an interview by Steven Waugh the Australian
Captain, and I had a lot of sympathy to what he had to say. I think
it is quite distressing that mob violence and mob intimidation can
have an impact on the result of a game. It does appear from what I
heard that the umpire's decision was altered as a result of threats
by the crowd and an indication that physical safety could not be guaranteed.
As a well- known cricket lover, and as a well-known sports lover I
find that quite appalling and the fact that the last two one-day games
have been tampered with by crowds is something that is of great concern
to the international cricket world. And this is a problem for the
international cricket administration. They really do have to come
to grips with this problem. Sports administrators around the world
have got to show more leadership on these issues, and they really
do have to come to grips. Of course there's a particular responsibility
on the West Indies. And it's such a shame because in every other
respect it was a magnificent series. It was close, there was some
brilliant cricket by both sides, a wonderful recovery by Brian Lara
of personal form, and some of the most enthralling cricket that I've
seen for a long time. But I'm just saddened that this should
have happened and I sympathise with what Steve Waugh had to say. I
think he put it very well. Thank you.