Subjects: Ansett; CDF; Queen's visit.
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
Your response to the Tesna failure Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my first thoughts are with the workers. I feel very sorry for them and it';s particularly heartbreaking that it';s happened right on the eve of the thing getting off the ground. So I really do say to the Ansett employees who are hoping to get, some of them, their jobs back, the Government';s guarantee in relation to their entitlements, which I gave on the 14th of September last year, that guarantee holds good. It';s not the Government';s fault that the Tesna thing has fallen over. I think everybody knows that this was run very much by the administrators and the ACTU and Mr Fox and Mr Lew. On occasions the Government was a bit left out of the loop, but so be it. I';m sorry this has occurred.
I hope that the administrator immediately looks at the alternative bid. I hope that the administrator doesn';t look at liquidation. I think he ought to have a look at the bid from Corrigan because that is an alternative. He should try and, if possible, he has to act according to the law, but I do think alternative bids should be examined. But I feel for the workers more than anything else, and I am very disappointed that it';s happened right at the end, out of the blue and I think people should explain that and I think the workers are entitled to have a full explanation as to why this decision';s been taken. If it';s a commercial one, which I gather it is, then fair enough they should explain why. I';m not asking people to invest their money if they don';t think there';s good reason. But seeing that all along people spoke positively and optimistically it is very disappointing for the workers.
JOURNALIST:
Who should make those explanations Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well obviously the parties. I mean I think the administrators should say something, I think Mr Fox and Mr Lew should have something to say. I mean they were the people who were running it. I';m not being critical, I';m just making the observation that the employees are entitled to know and having said that I think we should move on.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Admiral Chris Barrie has refuted the evidence that he gave and says that no children were thrown overboard. This appears to be a serious blow to your position.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, it';s not at all. I mean the thing that matters here is what was said before the 10th of November, before the election. That';s the crucial issue. And what he said today in no way alters the fact that prior to then his view was that evidence had not been available contradicting the previous advice. I';ve seen his statement. He really confirms what we';ve been saying all along and that is that before the election we had not received, I had not received, advice contradicting the earlier advice. So there';s nothing in Admiral Barrie';s comments today. His revision is based on a telephone conversation he had with the Captain of the Adelaide last Sunday, so that could hardly be related to events prior to the 10th of November. Not at all. So I';m not the least bit discomforted by what Admiral Barrie has said, not at all because it doesn';t contradict what I previously said. Everything I';ve previously said related to the period before the election. I mean everybody knows that the charge being made against me and against my colleagues is that there was some cover-up before the election by ministers. Well if Admiral Barrie recants on the strength of a conversation last Sunday that hardly relates to what happened prior to the 10th of November last year.
And could I just take this opportunity of saying that Admiral Barrie retains my very strong support. I think he';s done a very good job as head of the Defence Force. The fact that we were able to have a successful intervention in East Timor was due to the state of advance readiness that the ADF had been brought to before those events arose and although the intervention was led by General Cosgrove in a brilliant fashion, it was Admiral Barrie';s prior planning that meant we were ready. And the other thing I would say to get this whole children overboard thing into a bit of defence perspective, around about the 7th of October the main preoocupation properly for the CDF was Australia';s role in the war against terrorism. That was far more important than anything else and Admiral Barrie has done his job in relation to that with great skill, great skill.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER:
Look they';re questions you ask him. But look the facts are very simple. The debate is about what people knew before the election and anything that happens to revise an attitude after that is hardly relevant to the charge being made against us.
JOURNALIST:
So you';re saying there';ll be no fall out for Admiral Barrie for his about face?
PRIME MINISTER:
There';ll be no fall out as far I';m concerned, no. Admiral Barrie has done a very good job as head of the Defence Force and I want to say that I think the ADF serves this country extremely well. I welcome the fact that he';s set up a CDF Taskforce to have a look at some communication issues. But as far as his own position is concerned, my support is rock solid, so is the support of the Defence Minister and the entire Government because if you look at the whole record, if you look at what he';s got to do as a CDF he';s done everything very well. I mean he';s been there for four years almost, he was the overlord of the East Timor operation. I mean General Cosgrove did an outstanding job as the field commander, outstanding job, and Admiral Barrie has organised our response to the terrorist issue. And that was the thing that was preoccupying his mind and the minds of senior military leaders in the early days of of October and I think people who are taking pot shots at the defence force ought to keep that in mind.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard you';ll be standing next to the Governor General in half an hour or so, any embarrassment for Australia…
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don';t have anything really to add to what I';ve previously said about that issue. You know my view and I don';t have anything to add at all.
JOURNALIST:
Does it concern you that Her Majesty is embroiled in this, will have to deal with a Governor General who appears…..?
PRIME MINISTER:
Her Majesty is a very experienced person in dealing with a whole lot of situations, difficult and easy. I don';t think there';s a person around who';s handled challenging situations with greater aplomb and skill and dignity than she has. She';s been doing it for the last 50 years. I think this suggestion that unimaginable embarrassment is being created for the Queen in relation to this issue is to say the least a complete beat up. I think she will handle things with her normal skill and dignity. I should go and meet her, lest I';m accused of bad manners.
[ends]