Subjects: Centenary of Federation; Childers fire; war memorial
E&OE?????????????????????????????????
JOURNALIST:
Mr Blair if I could just ask you a question first, Australia this week is celebrating the Centenary of Federation, is that something that the British people feel they can take part in or is it something just for Australians?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR:
No, I think that obviously British people want to be a part of that as well. And the links are so strong between Britain and Australia and the relationship is very good, I mean for someone, I mean I know Australia pretty well. And it's a country we're really enthusiastic about and so obviously, there is so many exchanges between Australian people and British people that sure we'll feel very much a part of it.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, can I ask you about the Childers backpackers fire which was certainly a tragedy. Can I ask your personal reflections on it and from those of the British people?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR:
People were just stunned and shocked by the tragedy. And there were so many people over here that were worried about their relatives and their children, what was happening. And it was just such a savage and senseless act of destruction. But, I think the way that the authorities have handled it over in Australia has helped people very much and obviously it's still something that is felt as a deep tragedy over here.
JOURNALIST:
And a memorial?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR:
Yes, well we think that's an excellent idea and we will obviously make our contribution to that along with others. We were just discussing it when we were talking about the tragedy we were just discussing the number of backpackers there are. British people in Australia, it's something young people love to do, it's a fantastic experience for them. I'm sure they will go on doing it, but an event like this has brought the whole of the community very much closer together.
JOURNALIST:
Do either of you have a view on what format the memorial might take?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we will actually as a Federal Government contribute, and I understand the Queensland Government will be saying something about it as well. It's something I would like to discuss with the local people. The Mayor has done an absolutely fantastic job in a very stressful situation. I certainly found that at the Childers Memorial Service just how touched the community had been by it and how they had sort of gathered up the survivors, it was quite remarkable. But we will discuss that with the local people. I think with those things it's always better to talk to the local people about it and get their views rather than sort of pretend that we know the best form for it to take.
Can I just say while I have the opportunity on the subject of memorials that the Prime Minister and I have agreed that we will enter into discussions with the British Government with a view to constructing for the first time an all service Australian war memorial in London. It's almost been one of those things many people thought somehow or other must have been attended to because of the many military conflicts that Australian and British forces have been involved in together. But there isn't an all service Australian War Memorial and Mr Blair has very kindly indicated the British Government will cooperate with us in finding a suitable location to construct it and it will be a very fitting memorial, not only to the Australians who died in direct defence of Britain, but also to the many tens of thousands of Australians who died in conflicts along side the British in the defence of freedom, particularly in the two World Wars.
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR:
This is something that's long overdue and there was always such a fantastic sense of comradeship between the Australian forces and the British forces who fought along side each other on many occasions, and I think it's something that everyone assumes there must be some sort of memorial, but in fact it is important now that we make sure that there is a proper and fitting memorial to them and to those people who gave their lives and devoted so much of their service to preserving the freedom of all of us.
Ends.