Subjects: visit to New Zealand; social security arrangements
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
What are you planning to talk about in New Zealand ?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well this is part of a regular bilateral exchange of prime ministerial visits. We'll obviously be, I hope, putting the finishing touches to the new social security agreement. I want to thank all of those on both sides who've worked very hard on this. And it will bring to fruition a negotiation that will produce an outcome that's beneficial to both countries.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's good for both countries, this is not an exercise in one country being victorious over another in negotiation. We are close friends, there are no two countries in the world closer, and I've taken a constructive attitude and I thank the New Zealand Prime Minister for her very constructive approach. And I'm certain that the agreement which I hope will be finalised over the weekend and announced on Monday by Helen Clark and myself, I believe it will be a win-win agreement for both Australia and New Zealand.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. No I don't believe it will because the elements of it are fair, they're fair to both countries, they're fair to the people of our two societies. It won't in any way prevent the free movement of people. I want to stress that. It will still be possible for people to move in a free fashion, it doesn't affect that at all.
JOURNALIST:
How much money will it save the Australian.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it's a little premature for me to talk about savings at this stage, let's bed the agreement down and finalise a few remaining details and I might have something more to say on that later. But there are benefits for both Australia and New Zealand in this arrangement, it's not just something that's beneficial for Australians.
JOURNALIST:
What does New Zealand get out of it ?
PRIME MINISTER:
New Zealand gets a guaranteed continuation, at least a guaranteed continuation, of the free movement of her people across the Tasman, and that's very important.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's not a question of anybody wrongly claiming anything, we're not alleging that there's been any rip off or rorting, we've just sensibly tried to negotiate a new understanding.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, yesterday your Treasurer ruled out changes to petrol policy yet you left the door open for possible change in the future, can you clarify.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that's just a particular interpretation you've put on the views that both of us expressed. I invite you to have a look at what I said yesterday, it really says it all, and I can't add anything to it.
JOURNALIST:
Did you leave the way open for .
PRIME MINISTER:
Well you're the people who put interpretations on these things. I made some statements yesterday and they stand. They're very clear, they're very straight forward and you can do the interpreting.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Good try. See you later.
[ends]