PM:Just now the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, and I have laid a wreath at this important memorial here at the Australian Consulate-General in Bali. Many, many, many Australian families have been directly and personally affected by the tragic events in Bali in recent years. The two bombings which have occurred here have led to the loss of much Australian life and much life from people from around the world and much life here locally too from this Balinese community. And it's been appropriate for us, on behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian people, to lay a wreath to commemorate that loss and the impact that's it's had on so many Australian lives.
Mindful of that loss, in my discussions in the last couple of days with the President of Indonesia, I have reiterated the absolute and fundamental importance of Australia and Indonesia continuing and expanding our cooperation in the entire sphere of counter terrorism. There is already good cooperation between the Australian Federal Police and their Indonesian counterparts. Again, I discussed that specifically with President Yudhoyono. Looking to the future, I would see it important to not only continue that cooperation but to expand it further.
The threat of terrorism is real, as we've seen by recent tragic events in Algiers. Therefore we must remain forever vigilant in this area. National security and the security of Australians abroad are of fundamental importance to the responsibilities of any Australian Government. They are fundamental to the responsibilities of this Australian Government which I lead and therefore it is critical that we continue and expand the fabric of our security policy cooperation in general and specifically on counterterrorism with the Government of Indonesia.
This morning I've also met, together with Stephen, with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea. It was good to catch up with the Chief. I last saw him in Moresby after I'd walked the Kokoda Track and I had a good and long conversation with Sir Michael about the future of our bilateral relationship.
I said to Sir Michael and he agreed that it's time to turn a new page in Australia's relationship with Papua New Guinea. This relationship has been through a very difficult period in recent times. There has in effect been a freeze on ministerial contact between the two governments. I do not believe that's an appropriate way forward for the future. We have to get on with the business of reviewing the totality of our relationship and taking that relationship forward.
To give practical expression to that, what Sir Michael and I agreed to today was that the Australian Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum, which will be on our side headed by Stephen as Foreign Minister, will meet in Papua New Guinea in the first quarter of next year. That will bring together a range of Australian Government ministers, senior ministers who are integral to the bilateral relationship. The purpose of that forum, that ministerial forum, will be from our point of view to review the breadth of the relationship and the dimensions of future cooperation with PNG.
This is a critical relationship for Australia. We've got to get this relationship right as indeed we've got to get our relations right, right across the south west Pacific.
One of the specific areas that Sir Michael and I discussed was climate change and deforestation. This is an important area to PNG, an important area for Australia and an important area for the region and the world. There is a high density of rainforest in Papua New Guinea and we now have dispatched a team of officials which will be visiting Moresby in January to discuss how we take our cooperation on (inaudible) PNG. This potentially is a significant new area of expanded cooperation between the two governments.
We've also agreed that climate change and forestry matters will be a specific item on the agenda for the bilateral ministerial forum to be held in the first quarter of next year and Penny Wong as Climate Change Minister, together with advisers from her department and Ross Garnaut, will be attending that forum.
On climate change itself, we are here in Bali in order to negotiate a roadmap, a Bali roadmap for the future negotiation of a climate change compact involving both developed and developing countries for the future. These are complex and difficult negotiations and my instruction to our negotiating team has been to burn the midnight oil, roll the sleeves up and to spare no efforts in making sure we negotiate an effective mandate for the future.
When it comes to the definition of that effective mandate, we need to ensure that there is a clear cut commitment to a negotiating timeline. It's critical that our destination point for the conclusion of this new compact on climate change is the end of 2009, the Copenhagen Meeting. We believe that that must become the focus for the conclusion of our negotiations during this current period because we cannot delay any longer.
Secondly, it's critical that what is called the two tracks of this process - that concerning the Kyoto Protocol parties and those broader parties to the convention itself - proceed in tandem and are properly synchronised.
The end point we want to be is binding commitments, binding targets for developed countries and specific commitments for developing countries. We need to be working together so that all developed countries - and as I said yesterday, all developed countries - undertake binding targets for the future and that we have specific commitments from the major developing countries and the developing countries in general. Developing countries of course now represent major emitters themselves.
It's also critical that in the work which unfolds through the Climate Change Convention process and the Kyoto Protocol process, that we place avoided (inaudible) at the centre. This is critical in our future bilateral cooperation with the Republic of Indonesia and with Papua New Guinea and I've already referred to expanded cooperation between the two governments in PNG on this question and I've already discussed with President Yudhoyono doing the same with Indonesia. These are two critical areas where we can act early and effectively, bilaterally, regionally and in concert with the evolving architecture under the climate change framework convention, together with the Kyoto Protocol, to bring about significant effective results when it comes to mitigation efforts.
And having made those remarks, I'm happy to take your questions.
JOURNALIST:Mr Rudd (inaudible) this morning for indigenous affairs to be placed on the agenda at the COAG meeting. What do you think of that and would you agree with the proposition that if you're an Aboriginal person in Queensland you're not going to fear that you'll not get treated equally before the law (inaudible) and finally are you aware of the case of the 10 year old girl in Queensland who's creating international headlines and embarrassing Australia (inaudible) overseas?
PM: I take an absolutely hard line when it comes to the protection of children, be they indigenous children or non-indigenous children. I said the other day in Australia when the details of this matter were first reported that I was horrified by the reports that I read and nothing has changed in my view of that in terms of the subsequent reports that I have read.
Secondly in terms of the way in which this matter should be handled at COAG, our officials, Commonwealth and State, are currently working on the determination of that agenda. Therefore on the question of indigenous matters there is room for its inclusion, depending on the views of other governments. The question is what productive strategies can be embraced for the future but I have an open mind on that so long as we have a productive and constructive way forward.
Finally, on the specifics of this case, I understand that the Queensland Premier and the Queensland Government currently have it under immediate investigation. I await the outcome of that investigation on the details of the case. If there are further actions necessary for the Commonwealth then we will embrace those actions and implement them.
JOURNALIST: Is there a case for the Northern Territory intervention to be extended to Queensland and indeed right across the country?
PM: The first responsibility we have in the case of this appalling, horrific case at Arukun is to establish all the facts and that's why this investigation is underway and I await with keen interest the outcome of that investigation.
Secondly, on the question of the Northern Territory intervention, we foreshadowed prior to the election, and nothing has changed since then, that we will review the effectiveness of that intervention against the objectives set for it at the 12 month point. That will occur in about September-October of 2008.
That's an appropriate way forward. Remember, the objectives we set for the intervention, the previous Government set as well, and how it should therefore be measured, was against the Little Children are Sacred report, specifically the effect of that intervention in bringing down the incidence of child assault, child sexual assault and violence against children. I await with interest the outcome of that review. And that will determine our future course of action both in the Territory and beyond.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the Americans got your message yesterday?
PM: I believe all of us in the world have an obligation to act on climate change. As you know, I'm a great friend and supporter of our Alliance and relationship with the United States. I've always said that America's an overwhelming force for good in the world. I've also always said that an Alliance with the United States does not mandate automatic compliance with every aspect of US foreign policy. And there are established differences between ourselves. One is well known to us all on Iraq, and the second relates to climate change. I've made no bones about it in the past that I believe the United States needs to accept its share of the global burden on climate change and on greenhouse gas reduction. That remains my position today. And the remarks I made yesterday about the United States and all countries needing to shoulder their share of the global burden remains.
JOURNALIST:Mr Rudd, you've repeatedly said that you recognise it's time for the (inaudible) climate change. Given that it's time, are you saying that (inaudible) countries is needed by 2020. Would you, because of your recognition of this science, (inaudible) some recognition of that science in a draft text?
PM: Well, on the question of the recognition of the science, I've already made a number of statements to that effect, both in Australia and since arriving here. On the negotiations underway between the parties at present, the challenge is this: how do you make sure that all parties remain party to the negotiation over the next two years, and therefore, when you have a range of views out to one end of the equation involving various developed countries and a range of views at the other end of the equation, the key challenge for our negotiators is to make sure that we have a clear and unqualified focus and compact, negotiating compact, moving forward. I'd be very concerned if negotiations meant that we had any states indicating that they would walk away from the process. Therefore, what I've instructed our negotiators to do is to spare no effort in trying to bridge the gap between developed countries and between developed and developing countries to make sure we have a robust mandate going forward.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the declaration, it's important the declaration (inaudible) a declaration proves a declaration a reference (inaudible) already guided by the times?
PM: Well, remember the IPCC Report which refers to the numbers that you've just made mention of, is an established document within the climate change convention process. It is there as part of the documentary record of the proceedings of the climate change, scientific negotiation and scientific analysis so far. It automatically, therefore, forms a backdrop to what negotiators would then do at the level of policy. My overarching concern is this: the science calling for action on climate change is clear. That has been concluded by the International Panel. The challenge for policy makers and for negotiators, therefore, is to make sure between now and the end of 2009, there's a robust mandate which is inclusive of all states, major emitters, both developing and developed world, to ensure that we get a real outcome by Copenhagen. The means to getting to that point will be many and varied and the negotiators currently face a very complex task, as negotiators often do in these sorts of negotiations, with still two days to go.
JOURNALIST: What message do you take to President Ramos Horta and the troops in East Timor?
PM: Well, I know Jose Ramos Horta very well during his period as Foreign Minister and, of course, Xanana Gusmao I know very well. There is plainly a continued challenge for us all to guarantee the maximisation of security into the long-term for East Timor. East Timor has a very complex development challenge. But underpinning that development challenge is security. I was critical, as you know, in the past, of Australia having withdrawn too early from East Timor. I believe that was not helpful at the time. And therefore, we will take an exceptionally conservative approach to how best to maintain East Timor's security long-term, doing so in close partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste.
And for the troops themselves, what I'll be saying to them is their work for Australia is much valued and much appreciated. The troops which Australia has abroad at the moment are operating in a whole range of difficult and dangerous environments and I'll be there in part to pass our message to them that the nation appreciates their service.
JOURNALIST:Are you concerned that including (inaudible) in the document (inaudible) reference that could force some countries out of the negotiations and walk even away?
PM: Well, negotiations are currently in a state of flux. My experience of negotiations like this in the past have been in the global trade round when I was Shadow Minister for Trade. And can I say that what I've seen in the past is that when negotiations get to a point of flux at this stage with a couple of days to go, it's important that we have appropriate flexibility for our negotiators to make sure that all parties remain. I'd be deeply concerned if any party was to walk away from these negotiations. Therefore, I've charged our negotiators with doing everything humanly possible to bridge the gap (inaudible) our responsibilities as a newly ratifying state of the Kyoto Protocol seriously.
JOURNALIST: Two questions, if I could, very quickly?
JOURNALIST:The new relations with PNG - does that mean that Australia is no longer pursuing an explanation from the Somare Government as to how Julian Moti escaped or was able to evade those extradition attempts earlier? And on a totally unrelated matter, the Japanese whaling fleet is almost in Australian waters. Are we deploying military vessels to keep tabs on it?
PM: Firstly on the question of the Moti matter, the position of the Australian Government is absolutely clear cut. This individual is the subject of criminal charges and because of the application of Australian domestic law; we have activated our extradition arrangements with the Government of the Solomon Islands. Nothing has changed on that score. We therefore intend to prosecute that to the full. The reason being is that the normal operation of the criminal law of the Commonwealth of Australia, and through its properly constituted agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, and international extradition arrangements should proceed unimpeded and that will remain our position.
Secondly, on the question of whaling, we will have further to say about the whaling matter during the course of next week.
But let me say this. We take seriously Australia's international obligations on the proper protection of whales. We have said in the past that we would look at measures which would fortify any future case to be brought before international legal tribunals on the implementation of Japan's whaling policies, in particular Japan's assertion that these are for research purposes and not for commercial purposes and we are therefore actively considering the appropriate measures for the collection of data which would assist in any future legal case which the Government may embark upon in the future. And on those matters we'll have further to say during the week ahead.
JOURNALIST: Could you please answer the question, that is, is the Australian Navy preparing to be used...
PM: You mean right now?
JOURNALIST: Yes.
PM: As I said, we'll have further to say...
JOURNALIST: In Australian waters.
PM: As I said before, we'll have further to say on that next week and I reiterate our previous policy as stated clearly that we would not rule out the use of Australian assets to collect appropriate data including photographic evidence concerning whaling activities if we were to then advance a case to the appropriate international legal tribunals. But we'll have further to say about that.
ends