Subjects: human cloning; Knowledge Nation; Dr Wooldridge; Boyer lecturers; ABC.
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
.investigation into human cloning?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh human cloning? Well we are waiting at a government level, we're waiting for the views from the Health Ministers. The broad position of the Government is that the cloning of whole human beings or human cloning as it's loosely called is something that we are totally opposed to. As to research, we think there are wonderful opportunities that can provide the answers to many challenging ailments and diseases that mankind has had for a long time. We want to keep a dividing line between the two but it's too early for me to announce any Government position beyond that.
JOURNALIST:
What do you think of the Federal Opposition's 'knowledge nation' policy statement?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they haven't made one. We still don't have a Labor policy. I mean here we are no more than six months from an election and they've been talking about this for several years and we still don't have a policy. What was released today was a wish list that you might adopt if you had unlimited money and unlimited time. Well, that doesn't exist for anybody and we still don't know where the Labor Party stands, they haven't adopted any of these recommendations, and the first recommendation is apparently a summit. Well we had a summit a two years ago on innovation and we've put down a policy. We've allocated $3 billion and we've said what we are going to do and we're busily implementing it. The Labor Party has still not decided what it's going to do in an area that it says is the most important of its alternative policy areas. They still don't have a policy. And we're less than six months from the election.
JOURNALIST:
Well, they want to double the funding for research and development by 2010.
PRIME MINISTER:
Who the Labor Party?
JOURNALIST:
Yes.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the Labor Party hasn't committed itself to that. The Labor Party's committed itself to doubling the funding - well I don't know if they've done that. I think that's in the recommendations but they haven't adopted that recommendation. We doubled the funding for health and medical research in the budget two years ago. We doubled the ARC funding in our statement in January of this year. The Labor Party hasn't said whether it supports those things or opposes it. And the point I make again and again is where is their policy? They don't have one. I mean a recommendation from a committee is not a policy. I want to know what Mr Beazley's going to do, not what the committee recommends.
JOURNALIST:
Education groups have welcomed it saying that it is an innovative approach.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it's not an approach. Nothing is an approach in the political arena unless the alternative Government or the Government of the day commits itself to it. And as we speak the Labor Party does not have a Knowledge Nation policy. It has no commitment. We've put down a policy, we're implementing it, we're passing legislation, we're setting in train a process to double the research grants. I mean all of these things are happening. Now I think the Labor Party has a responsibility to tell the Australian public were it stands. I mean time is running out - we've now had five and half years to build an alternative. Where is it?
JOURNALIST:
Mr Beazley has said though that he will cost things fully before the election is called.
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, Mr Beazley's had five and a half years to get his act together and tell us what he believes in. He just wants to surf in on the back of discontent with things that we have done. That's not a very positive approach to Government.
JOURNALIST:
Did you play any role in this lunch today between Mr Wooldridge and Kerryn Phelps?
PRIME MINISTER:
Did I what?
JOURNALIST:
Play any role in organising this lunch today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I neither chose the restaurant nor made the phone call. They lunched today did they? What was on the menu?
JOURNALIST:
A face-to-face apology apparently.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don't know. I mean I haven't caught on any of that. All I can say is that I want a good relationship between the AMA and the Government. We're not always going to agree but they're an important body. They represent the generality of doctors and it's important that we have a good relationship. And if the relationship is better as a result of today than that's a good thing.
JOURNALIST:
Did you prompt Dr Wooldridge to apologise?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I had a meeting involving Dr Wooldridge and Dr Phelps and others. It was a sensible meeting and things have happened.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard a couple of the Boyer lecturers today have remarked that Australia has become a meaner country in the last few years, particularly in regards to its treatment of refugees and its lack of progress on reconciliation. What's your reaction to those criticisms?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I would expect that some of them would say that, because as I remarked in the speech I gave launching the book, the anthology, the lecturers come from all sides of the political debate. I mean of course I don't accept that criticism, I think it's wrong, it's predictable but it's wrong. I don't think we have become a meaner country, I think we remain a very generous country. The refugee issue is very difficult and very challenging and I think we are striking the balance in what is an extremely difficult situation. But I would expect some of the Boyer lecturers to disagree with my Government.
JOURNALIST:
Has Mr Macdonald been reappointed Chairman of the ABC?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well let me say this: that any announcement in relation to that would be made by the Minister, but I think he's done a first class job as chairman. An excellent job.
JOURNALIST:
When are we likely to hear?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they'll be an announcement made in the appropriate time, in the appropriate way, by the appropriate Minister before the expiry of his current term. But I think he's done an absolutely outstanding job as Chairman.
JOURNALIST:
So you would be recommending his reappointment then?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh come on this is not a Cabinet meeting.
JOURNALIST:
What would you do if you were a betting man?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not a betting man. Okay thanks.
[ends]