Subjects: Archbishop Pell
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, your reaction to the news about Archbishop Pell?
PRIME MINISTER:
I believe completely George Pell';s denial. I rang him this evening and spoke to him. They are of course very serious allegations and he';s done the right thing in standing aside and the church has done the right thing to have the allegations fully investigated. I don';t know any more than that, that';s all I can say.
JOURNALIST:
You believe him on the basis of his own assertion that he';s not guilty?
PRIME MINISTER:
I can only repeat what I';ve said, you either believe somebody or you don';t, and you';ve asked me a question and I';ve given you a very direct answer. I';m not going to say any more than that. I do believe that the Archbishop has done the right thing in standing aside and I believe the church has done the right thing to have a judge fully investigate it, a retired judge fully investigate the matter. Beyond that I can';t and won';t say anymore.
JOURNALIST:
The Catholic Church has been criticised for covering up this sort of thing in the past, or these alleged sort of activities in the past, you';re saying that at last it';s taking the right step towards…
PRIME MINISTER:
You can';t be more transparent than to stand aside. He holds the highest position in the Catholic Church in Australia. He stood aside, the church body invited the person making the allegation to go to the police and I gather that request has not been taken up. But they are quite properly going to have it investigated. Now I don';t think I can say anymore and they';re doing the right thing and whatever people may think, whether you believe or not believe the Archbishop, I do, it';s the right thing to have it fully investigated. And I think that';s what the public expects and it';s what members of the church would expect. The right thing is being done in having the matter investigated by a retired judge.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard given there are a number of claims against a number of different church people, is it worth having a royal commission into the wider issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
We';ve discussed that and we';re not persuaded that that';s going to achieve anything very positive. There have been a whole lot of investigations. Individual complaints are investigated so we';re not persuaded that this is something that would have enormous public benefit. But you';re dealing here with allegations, common decency and justice requires that they be regarded as allegations. They are going to be investigated, the man has stood aside, the church is doing the right thing, I can';t say anymore.
JOURNALIST:
What did you say to Dr Pell when you spoke to him this afternoon? You expressed your support for him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I would hardly have rung him to do otherwise.
[ends]