Subjects: employment, tax reform, safe injecting rooms; economy; gambling;
mandatory sentencing.
E&OE..........................................................................................
JOURNALIST:
We were wondering if we could ask you about Labor's jobs policy.
They've said that unemployment will stay between 7% and 8% unless
there are changes. Can we get it lower?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. We can get unemployment lower in this country if we continue to
have strong economic growth, if we continue to have tax reform, if we
continue to generate more jobs. This government has created 600,000 in
the four years that it's been in office. We've increased the
number of apprentices. We've increased the number of people in TAFE
colleges. We've announced today a contribution towards an information
technology skills institute, the very sort of thing that was being talked
about yesterday. I mean we have the runs on the board. We have from the
Labor Party a piece of un-costed pie in the sky rhetoric. We have the
runs on the board. I mean unemployment now is lower than it has been for
a decade and that is as a result of the government's policies. And
we could drive it lower. We could generate more jobs in small business
if only the Labor Party would support our further reforms to the unfair
dismissal laws.
JOURNALIST:
Can we get it to 5% as Peter Costello suggested?
PRIME MINISTER:
We can get it lower if we maintain economic growth and if we have further
industrial relations reforms like getting rid of the silly unfair dismissal
laws that frighten small business out of taking on more people.
JOURNALIST:
What's your reaction to the UN's findings on safe injecting
rooms?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they are no surprise to me. I don't support injecting rooms.
I never have. And I won't because I think they send the wrong signal.
But ultimately this is a matter that has to be resolved in Australia just
as other things must ultimately be resolved in Australia by Australians.
JOURNALIST:
So what was your response then to claims that the UN board was in fact
influenced by your opposition to the shooting galleries?
PRIME MINISTER:
Were you referring to the comments made by Professor Pennington? Well
they're wrong. I reject that completely. And I don't think the
professor should have made that claim because he admits he has no evidence
of it. I think it's absurd to suggest that my views would have nobbled
the views of the Narcotics Board. The Narcotics Board has always been
against injecting rooms and it's not surprising to me that they've
repeated that objection. And any suggestion that I intervened to try and
doctor the report is quite wrong and I totally reject it.
JOURNALIST:
On radio this morning you said that it was a matter for States to decide
even thought you personally disagreed [inaudible].
PRIME MINISTER:
No. What we did in the case of the ACT was to say that we would not permit
any breach of a federal law. What I said was that we were not going to
allow any breaches of federal law, but ultimately it was a matter for
the States to decide that they go ahead with injecting rooms. There's
a different principle. We're not going to use the external affairs
power to overturn things like injecting rooms. But if the injecting rooms
were a breach of a federal law then we wouldn't allow it, but my
advice is that they are not. They are entirely within the province of
the States. I mean we've got to get to a stage in this country where
governments are accountable for their own responsibilities. This absurd
thing that every time something goes wrong you go running off to the federal
government and say fix it. We are a federation. We have States and they
demand the right to have their own say on things, well they have to accept
responsibility. And if people are unhappy with what the New South Wales
government's doing or the Western Australian government's doing,
well they have a remedy at the next State election in New South Wales
and Western Australia, not that I'm suggesting they vote against
the Western Australian government although I'd be happy if they voted
against the New South Wales government.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you were also asked on radio by a pensioner to give a
guarantee [inaudible] would not be worse off under the GST. Can you give
that guarantee?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look pensioners will be better off under the GST. Pensioners will
be much better off because they will get a 4% up front increase, they
will get savings bonuses and all sorts of additional benefits. So generally
speaking I can certainly promise that they will be better off.
JOURNALIST:
What do you make of Dennis Burke's comments that the judiciary in
the Northern Territory is corrupt? Do you think he should at least stand
down as Attorney-General?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Dennis Burke has dealt with that and there's nothing more that
need be added. Okay.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, on the strength of the economy, things are looking pretty
good. International growth is feeding expectations. Does this mean we'll
be pleasantly surprised in the next year with the strength of Australia's
economy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the Australian economy is very strong now. It's very strong.
And that is a result of the government's policies. And we don't
want it wrecked by increasing income taxes Mr Beazley is threatening to
do. And the next thing to be done to make the Australian economy good
and strong is to reform the tax system. Now the people of Australia were
told about our plans at the last election. We won that election and we
are implementing that plan. And instead of sniping and snarling, and behaving
like a political guerilla on the subject, the Opposition Leader should
support us. I mean these guerilla tactics are just silly. They should
accept it, that the Australian people voted for our tax plan. And instead
of trying to spoil it they should accept the verdict of the Australian
people.
JOURNALIST:
But in terms of the outlook for growth are we still looking strong?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we are still looking very strong but I never take anything for granted.
But we will only remain strong if we follow the right policies. If we
give up on tax reform, if we give up on industrial relations reform, if
we encourage an outbreak of a 36 hour week claims as the new Labor government
in Victoria is doing then we will put a cloud over that continued strong
economic growth.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, we saw the tragedy the other day [inaudible] where a
baby was in a car while the mother was [inaudible] gambling. [inaudible]
New South Wales has announced they will be putting signs up in carparks.
Are they adequate measures do you think to sort of prevent this happening
again?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well adopting what I said a moment ago perhaps you should first direct
that question to the State government because the State governments have
ultimate control in relation to gambling. We're going to....
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] strong views on gambling.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I've got very strong views. I think there are a lot of social
evils that flow from the abuse of gambling. And any government that encourages
over reliance on gambling has a lot to answer for. And I think some State
governments have done that and I think it does vary from State to State.
I think when you look at the record there's been less encouragement
in this State, in Western Australian than in many others. So in that sense
the Western Australian government has a better record than a number of
the other State governments. And I am disturbed about it. I don't
want to talk about the individual case because it's now before the
courts and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to do so. But there's
no doubt in the world that abuse of gambling has huge social consequences
and there are lots of people who can't afford to, that are gripped
in gambling. And all of us have a responsibility. Now it's not easy
because you're trying to persuade people to change their habits and
that is a long slow laborious process, and you don't achieve it overnight
by some narrow response. You have to over a period of time educate people
of the dangers and try and reduce the reliance of States on gambling revenue
and that's one of the advantages of the GST. What the GST will do
over time is give the States a steadily rising source of revenue, and
they won't have to rely as much on things like gambling into the
future. It's another reason, another social reason why we should
have tax reform in this country.
JOURNALIST:
Does that give the State governments the incentive to perhaps roll back
the extent of gambling that some States have allowed?
PRIME MINISTER:
What I will say is this that they will have more revenue out of
the GST over time and they ought therefore to have more flexibility in
other areas.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I would like to see governments with the additional GST revenue
improve government schools, hospitals, police services, and I would also
like to see over time a reduced reliance on gambling revenue. Of course
I would.
JOURNALIST:
Does that mean cutting the number of machines......
PRIME MINISTER:
No look, you're asking for me to comment on the details of individual
State government policies and I'm just not in a position to do anything
because I don't know enough about it.
JOURNALIST:
Mandatory sentencing, will the Attorney-General actually be writing....?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes yes, he'll be writing to them?
JOURNALIST:
But when will he be doing that?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think he might be doing it today.
JOURNALIST:
Why do you feel there's a role for him to interfere into the operation
of the States where as you've just been arguing in other cases that
States [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Just because you write people letters doesn't mean to say you're
using the external affairs power to overturn a law.
[Ends]