JOURNALIST: [AUDIO BREAK] talking about policies such as quotas for women on boards. Is it Government policy, and how does your response fit with your appearance at the International Women of Courage awards this morning?
PM: The Governor-General has devoted her life to arguing about women's equal opportunity and she was certainly at the forefront of those arguments when our nation was having to work its way through making sure women had an equal say and an equal role, so I believe it's appropriate for the Governor-General to continue to advocate what's been her lifetime passion.
The Government's policy is that we have a quota or a target for Government boards of 40 per cent, which we are working our way towards. We are strenuously urging the private sector to act to get more women onto their boards.
I view regulating as the last option. I want to see self-motivated change from Australian companies, and whenever I meet with leading Australian business figures, and I do that very frequently, they are very conscious of the need for change and for more women on boards.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, did you agree with Senator McCain that there's an issue with Australia and the need for close cooperation between the US and Australia on the rise of China, and specifically with regard to the Defence Posture that we've been discussing in the last couple of days. Is it likely, would you think, we might see more US ships in our region as the US seeks to counter the rising power of China?
PM: First question, I think Australia and the US need to cooperate on all strategic challenges, and what is happening in our region is largely being defined by the rise of China, so we constructively engage with China. That's our policy. It's the policy of the US.
We also have frank discussions with China where we have differences. That's our policy and the policy of the US.
On the deployment of US military assets, well, clearly that is not for me to make a decision about. The US will work that through in its Global Force Posture Review, but yes we are collaborating in that Global Force Posture Review, and the outcome of that will be known later this year, so we will be able to then comment with some certainty about the deployment of US military assets.
JOURNALIST: You said yesterday you anticipated more visits, more involvement and so on. Does this mean more American boots on the ground in Australia?
PM: What I said yesterday is we are an enthusiastic participant in the Global Force Posture Review process. We are enthusiastic about working with the US military. We do so now. We do it through joint facilities, exercising, by visits by American ships to Australian ports. Clearly, all of those options can be explored as part of the Global Force Posture Review.
JOURNALIST: More people here- there?
PM: Look, all I can say is I'm enthusiastic about further cooperation and collaboration.
What shape that will take will come out of the Global Force Posture Review, but we currently have joint facilities, joint exercises. We welcome American ships to our ports, and those things can be a very strong part of our future.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, independent MP Tony Windsor has suggested that an advertising campaign on the carbon tax would be useless until there's more information around about it. Do you think that is s wise move, putting it off until, say, we know what the carbon price actually is?
PM: Look, I'm just not going to rule anything in or anything out on Government advertising. There is a role for Government advertising to get information to people.
JOURNALIST: You just, back on the quota business, you said you'd rather see businesses implement it. You said regulation is a last option. Is it an option?
PM: Look, Minister Tanya Plibersek, having responsibility for Status of Women at the relevant point when this debate was very much out in the Australian community made it clear that that was the last option, but we wanted to see change from Australian businesses themselves, and I believe they're motivated for change.
JOURNALIST: But should they be setting quota themselves voluntarily?
PM: Amongst other things, I think they should be looking to get more women on boards, they should be looking to harness female talent, they should be looking to assist women to get the skills that they need to to participate on Australian boards. So, all options should be explored by Australian businesses.
I don't think there's just one mechanism that's going to drive change. Change is driven by businesses themselves working through the issue and working out what's going to drive change for their business, but fundamentally, on International Women's Day, as much as every other day but particularly on International Women's Day, let me just say I believe men and women are born with equal capacities and so if you see an area of life like boards in corporate Australia where we disproportionately see men and not a sufficient representation of women, that is not a merits-based decision. Something is stopping the women getting through, and Australian businesses need to address that.
JOURNALIST: Are you at all disappointed that Guantanamo Bay will not be closed, it seems to be now going to be effectively a permanent (inaudible)
PM: Ultimately these are questions for the American administration to determine.
JOURNALIST: It was a big question for the Left, though, wasn't it? It was a symbol, very much for a long time, closing down Guantanamo Bay. It was for the President here, then it was a rallying call that was taken up in Australia, so for that go away, is that a disappointment? How should people understand that?
PM: The proper engagement of the Australian Government and me as Prime Minister on this is if there are some issues about Australian citizens. Otherwise, this is an issue for the American administration to determine.