KOCH: Julia, good morning to you. Happy new year. Couple of things to get through today but first up, can you give us anymore details about that soldier?
GILLARD: I'm not in a position to do that Kochie. The family has requested privacy at what is obviously a difficult and very tragic time for them and I'm sure the hearts of all Australians go out to them as they deal with and grieve for their loss. So the name of the soldier has not been released yet. Ultimately the name of the soldier will be released, indeed the Chief of our Defence Force said yesterday every Australian will know his name in time, but at the moment we're respecting at the wish of the family for complete privacy.
KOCH: Because it focuses all our attention back on Afghanistan. Do you still believe we have the right amount of troops in Afghanistan or should we be following the US and sending more troops and just sorting this out once and for all?
GILLARD: We believe our deployment numbers there are about right. We've got a substantial deployment there for a country this size. We've got around 1000 personnel over there. We've sustained that deployment overtime so we think that that contribution is a sizeable one, and we think it's a contribution that's making a difference. Obviously the US is going to be grappling with this issue as we move with new President Obama to new thinking and new policies and it maybe the US in time chooses to deploy more troops. But for this country we think our deployment numbers are right.
KOCH: Just remind us about why we're in Afghanistan because a lot of people see us withdrawing from Iraq but still stay really committed to Afghanistan. How important is it for us to stay there and why?
GILLARD: Well I think the best way of thinking about this is to remember where you were and how you felt on the day that the World Trade Centre came under attack in New York on 9/11 as the Americans would say when we heard about that loss of life.
Of course that was an act of terrorism, an act of terrorism conducted by al-Qaeda, and Afghanistan is the home of that terrorist movement. It's where much of its training is done, where many of its leaders are. And so we initially deployed to Afghanistan to fight that terrorism and we're still fighting it.
And of course this country too has been touched by acts of terrorism, most particularly the Bali bombing which killed so many Australians and left so many Australians who are still today grieving for their loved ones lost when the bombing happened in Bali.
So if we're going to deal with that threat of terrorism to this country and around the globe, then we need to be in Afghanistan dealing with the problem where much of the source of the problem is and much of the training of terrorists has occurred.
KOCH: Now we can never let the Taliban back in there, they are just appalling. Let's move onto the other big issue of the day and there is some confusion, help us out here, about this pulp mill in Tasmania, the Gunns pulp mill. Environment Minister Peter Garrett has put a hold on the Gunns project, but apparently they can still go ahead and build it. Now he said it hasn't met all the environment conditions the Federal Government wants, there's three outstanding, but then apparently saying you can start the building. What's your understanding of it?
GILLARD: Well this is a big project Kochie and it's a project that's got a number of stages. The construction works are considerable and there's been environmental assessment of those and they've been given the all clear, so Gunns can start the construction. And it's such a big construction project it's obviously going to take a number of years to complete.
The Environment Minister exercising his legal obligations under the relevant federal law and advised by independent experts, has said he wants more work done on the environmental conditions that will be applying to the mill when it's actually in operation.
So we get all the construction done, then when the mill is actually working there is a question particularly about what goes into the ocean and how that moves around the ocean, a sort of modelling of where the discharge will get to in the ocean. That still needs to be done and Gunns has been asked to do that further work so that the environmental process can be worked through to its full conclusion.
KOCH: Okay and you'd be prepared to stop the project being operational if those last three environmental standards aren't met, despite them spending millions to build the thing, you'd be prepared to go to the wall on it if they don't come to the party on these three outstanding?
GILLARD: Well what we want to see here of course is the best possible environmental standards. We've always said that to Gunns, the proponents of this pulp mill, and they've always said that they themselves wanted to acquit great environmental standards. So that part of the approvals process is still there, more work needs to be done, Minister Garrett made that perfectly clear yesterday. But construction can start.
KOCH: Okay. Alright thanks for your time. How are you enjoying the top job over the summer break?
GILLARD: Well I'm just here putting in some days obviously as Acting Prime Minister and Kevin will be back in January. So it's just doing all the things we normally do, but I've managed to spend some time with family and friends over Christmas as well. So I've had a good time thanks Kochie.
KOCH: Good on you. Okay, happy new year to you. Thanks for joining us.
GILLARD: To you too, thank you.
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