Subject:
AFP operation; Afghanistan; travel advisory; Australian of the Year nominations.
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen do you have any questions you want to ask me?
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard in the investigation into Dr Haneef in Brisbane, do you have any fresh information on that?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I can't talk about operational matters. He is still in custody. It's a matter for the federal police to decide whether they will seek an extension of the time that he is to be held in custody whilst questioning goes on. He is not at present charged with any offence, he may not be charged with any offence. I do not know, and I suspect at this stage the federal police do not know, it's a matter of the police being allowed to get on with their investigation and the person in question being entitled to a knowledge in the community that he is not currently charged with any offence, he's being lawfully detained for questioning in connection with matters that occurred in Britain, of which the public is well aware, but we should not jump to any conclusions or impute any guilt at this stage.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the laws are sufficient that govern this process right now or do they need to be revisited?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we will find out. These are new laws. They are being tried for the first time, not only in this case but in some other cases. If the laws turn out to be inadequate then the Government will look at making them more adequate, but I'm not saying they're inadequate, it's too early. This is new territory but it's territory that we'll have to get use to for many years into the future because dealing with terrorism is not something that's going to be disposed of in a matter of months or even a few years, it's going to be a long struggle, it's a different struggle, it's a new struggle, it's a new and different kind of enemy and we have to use new and different techniques. And people who imagine that we can use the techniques of earlier struggles and succeed are deluding themselves.
JOURNALIST:
But at this stage you're fully confident in the current laws?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have not been given any evidence that they're inadequate but I have an open mind as to whether that evidence might emerge. I'm not saying thereby that we're going to change it, I'm simply saying that with new laws we have to see how they operate and if they do show up inadequacies, well it would be our responsibility to address them and I know the Australian people want us to provide them with the maximum possible protection against terrorist threats, consistent with the maintenance of our legitimate civil liberties. It's a very delicate balance but it's a balance I know the Australian public want struck.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, our troops have come under fire this morning, we've reports this morning, does this show that we're still in danger, our troops.....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well our troops in Afghanistan are doing very valuable but very dangerous work. Our troops in Iraq are doing very valuable but very dangerous work and we should all be very conscious that neither detachment, neither deployment rather is free of risk but each deployment involves a very important struggle against terrorism.
JOURNALIST:
Just on the updated travel advisory for Indonesia, has there actually been any reasonably firm evidence that justifies that upgrading of the travel advisory?
PRIME MINISTER:
There is sufficiently firm intelligence to justify it being upgraded. We don't change these things, we don't upgrade them, we don't make statements unless there is sufficient reason. We have a very close relationship with Indonesia, we recognise the sensitivities within Indonesia whenever something like this is done but we have a greater duty to the safety of Australians and what we do is we warn them of what the latest assessment is. We counsel them against visiting certain places, they, in the end, make their own decisions.
JOURNALIST:
Should they come home, the people, especially in Bali?
PRIME MINISTER:
People should follow the travel advisory and make their own judgements.
JOURNALIST:
With the national audit on housing, you're out in the western suburbs of Sydney today. Is this where you're hoping young home buyers will come out and buy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we are in favour of young home buyers purchasing dwellings wherever they want to live, we're not going to tell them where to live. The best thing, of course, that any government can generally do for young home buyers is to keep interest rates as low as possible and interest rates will always be lower under a Coalition Government than under a Labor government.
JOURNALIST:
Just on the Aboriginal situation in the Northern Territory, are you still intending to call Parliament back early to pass the legislation?
PRIME MINISTER:
If the legislation is ready before Parliament is due to reconvene on, I think, about the 8th of August then it will be recalled, but if it is only ready a day or two before Parliament is due to reconvene then probably not. It depends entirely on how ready the legislation is. I know that work is proceeding and it's being prepared as quickly as possible and I will know probably in about a week or two's time when the legislation precisely will be ready. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
The local Mt Druitt school teacher nominated for Australian of the Year today, how important is it that the awards recognise the work of community members?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they're based entirely on that recognition. If you look at the people who now hold the awards, you think of people like Phillip Herreen who's done wonderful community work for people who've been disabled as a result of accidents and otherwise. You think of Tania Major who's an inspiration to young indigenous Australians, so it is all about doing community work; and Peter Langmack, his work in the school, his coaching of the teams, the fact that he gets in so early, gives people breakfast, coaches them during the morning tea break, the lunch break and after school, I mean, that is the sort of dedication that is priceless for a local community. Thank you.
[ends]