PM: I've just come from a bilateral meeting with President Yudhoyono. I took that opportunity to congratulate him on his leadership and chairing of the East Asia Summit yesterday. It was an important meeting, an historic meeting. Bringing to the table for the first time both the US and Russia. That means that the East Asia Summit is now the right place to talk about the issues of the Asian century. It has the right membership and the right mandate to be the body for the Asian century.
I congratulated President Yudhoyono on what we achieved yesterday. In particular yesterday at the East Asia Summit we saw leaders endorse the plan brought by Indonesia and Australia for better coordination of natural disaster management. Now that the plan has received the support of leaders we need to get on and ensure that it is made into a reality.
We hope that expanding the ASEAN Committee on disaster management that the expanded committee that now has all EAS members around the table will meet in the first quarter of next year. So that we can turn the plan that Australia and Indonesia took to the meeting into a reality.
And Australia will be providing $1 million to support a disaster coordination secretariat based in the ASEAN human assistance centre in Jakarta and that that is going to play a key role in implementing this initiative.
This is a very practical initiative so that we can better deal with natural disasters in our region. It's all about East Asia Summit members working together. It's all about developing confidence. It's all about the habits of cooperation as well as the very practical outcomes that can be achieved.
I was also pleased that at the East Asia Summit yesterday we had a good discussion on the security challenges in the region. It's critical if the East Asia Summit is to fulfil its full potential that members are able to canvass the broad range of security issues across the region. There was a particular focus on maritime security with many speakers highlighting the importance of resolving territorial claims in the South China Sea peacefully and in accordance with international law. Australia supported those calls. Non-proliferation and security on the Korean peninsula were also discussed.
On trade I was pleased that many leaders embraced a strong message that we cannot go back to the days of closed markets and that we need to keep moving forward to strengthen international trade and particularly to move forward global trade talks.
As I said yesterday given the growing urbanisation across Asia it is important that that development happens in environmentally sustainable cities. We want to see that urbanisation in a way which means we are better dealing with issues such as the generation of carbon pollution and the sustainability of the use of water. That was also before the meeting yesterday.
And I was pleased to announce that Australia will take additional steps to help South East Asian countries address the challenge of climate change including through protecting ecosystems on coasts in the Mekong delta.
Turning from what happened yesterday at the East Asia Summit to my bilateral discussion this morning with President Yudhoyono, Indonesia is of course one of our most important relationships.
Indonesia is a founding member of the G20, APEC and the EAS. It's the third largest democracy in the world after the United States and India, it's the fourth most populous country in the world, and the country with the largest Muslim population.
Indonesia is also our 12th largest trading partner with two-way trade, $12.9 billion in 2010 and our largest bilateral development partner. I can therefore think of no better way to finish this period of intense international engagement than here in Indonesia meeting with President Yudhoyono.
Our relationship with Indonesia has taken significant steps forward in recent years. We had this new leader level architecture, which we've seen on display today the commitment to bring leaders together as we have today.
My meeting this morning was the first such leader level summit under the agreement that was struck in March 2010.
We also have a new Australia Indonesia Dialogue Meeting. And that met in Jakarta for the first time only a few short months ago. And that is about strengthening relationships between our two people.
We agreed in our discussions today to make sure that what is called a 2 plus 2 meeting, a meeting of our defence and foreign ministers occurs during the course of next year.
And as I discussed with President Yudhoyono on my visit to Jakarta last year we agreed that we would now get on with pursuing our comprehensive economic partnership agreement. But we canvassed a full range of issues bilaterally and globally, we certainly noted that Indonesia's ratification of the Australia New Zealand ASEAN Free Trade Agreement is a great step forward and with that concluded, we can now use our time and energy on the comprehensive economic partnership agreement.
The President and I were then pleased to witness the signing of an arrangement between our federal police and the Indonesian national police to combat and prevent transnational crimes.
Building on the disaster management cooperation that was agreed at the East Asia Summit, I was also pleased to advise President Yudhoyono that Australia will gift up to four C-130 Hercules aircraft to the Indonesian air force for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
These are aircraft that require work and repairs but Indonesia is very keen to have them to assist with disaster management. And I was able to convey to President Yudhoyono from my own personal experience during our summer of natural disasters that these aircraft are very important to the movement of people and equipment and food during times of difficulty.
Australia has also provided Indonesia with three high-speed intercept vessels to combat people smuggling activities in Indonesian waters. These vessels arrived in Indonesia on the 7th of November and will be delivered to the Maritime Police with the aim of helping them combat people smuggling.
I was also very pleased to speak to the President of Indonesia about the importance of food security and to announce the establishment of a $112 million Australia Indonesian Partnership for Rural Economic Development. The aim of this is to increase food productivity, the amount of food that is grown, improving farm management and that in turn will improve the incomes of 1 million poor farmers in Eastern Indonesia.
We had a good discussion today. I want to thank President Yudhoyono for his leadership, for the warm welcome we have received here in Bali, for the arrangements made for the East Asia Summit and his leadership at the Summit and also for our bilateral discussion today which was a very positive discussion about the strategic partnership between our two nations.
I'm very happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister what did you talk to President Yudhoyono about in regards to Indonesian minors in Australian detention?
PM: I indicated to President Yudhoyono what I said publicly yesterday which is I am concerned about the amount of time that it has taken to ascertain the age of some Indonesian minors. I do remind that when we establish people are minors they are returned to Indonesia. We do not seek to charge and detain minors. But there have been times when ascertaining age has taken longer than it should have and I want to step up our partnership and cooperation with Indonesia on how we can ascertain people's ages and if they are minors, get them back to Indonesia as quickly as possible.
I'll just take a follow up and then we'll move across.
JOURNALIST: What practical measures though you going to take to step up or speed up that process?
PM: We need to do some work between us and Indonesia on the best way of addressing this. Cleary if we can have the closest possible cooperation between us and Indonesia on accessing documents and the like it might help identify people's ages then that will assist. But I do have the concern that it's taken too long and I have certainly spoken to our relevant agencies, they're are aware of my view that we need to find ways of getting age determined more quickly.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PM: There was no mention of the live cattle ban at all during my discussions with President Yudhoyono. On the circumstances of the 14-year old boy here in Bali I did thank President Yudhoyono for the care that Indonesian authorities have shown to ensure that this young boy is kept separately, has ready access to his parents, they have shown that degree of care and concern and I thanked President Yudhoyono for that.
On the relationship with Indonesia, we have a strong, positive relationship with Indonesia. It is our nearest neighbour, it is so important to us this partnership with Indonesia. We take the view that it is a strategic partnership between our two countries. Yes, there have been issues in our relationship over the last 12 months. That happens in relationships between nations from time to time. The important thing is that we work through those questions.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PM: I had the opportunity to talk to President Yudhoyono about that yesterday in the margins of the East Asia Summit and I raised it in the context of the bilateral meeting today. President Yudhoyono certainly understands that this is a step forward in our defence cooperation with the United States. We are a long time ally of the United States. This step forward in our defence cooperation is not aimed at any nation in our region. And it does make available to us the ability to meet regional contingencies including natural disasters in our region.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister. The lawyers for the Bali boy were hoping that you'd ask President Yudhoyono to expedite his return to Australia. Would you consider that appropriate?
PM: This matter is returning to court as soon as the 25th of November and in those circumstances this is a very sensitive question that needs, Indonesian law clearly applies, this is a very sensitive question and I don't view it appropriate for me publicly or any other time to be speculating or talking about those legal proceedings and their potential outcomes.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PM: I did meet with Premier Wen of China yesterday. I raised with him the arrangements we have come to with the United States about Marines being deployed into the Northern Territory on a rotational basis and increased cooperation between our two Air Forces. So I raised it with him. Our meeting was a cordial one, a constructive one, we were be looking into the future. It was a forward-looking meeting. On the attitude of the Chinese government on these questions, I think it's best taken from the official statements of the Chinese Government through its Foreign Ministry, indicating that they want to focus on peace and stability in the region and so do we.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on other Australians incarcerated in Indonesia, did you raise the issue of clemency for the likes of the Bali Nine or Schapelle Corby? And also on the delivery of these intercept vessels is that now an acceptance that there's really nothing you can do to discourage asylum seekers from making the voyage to Australia by boat and you've moved more into an intercept phase and [inaudible]
PM: I'll take your second question first. And the answer to that is no, not at all. Not in any way. We have been engaged for a considerable period of time with Indonesia on detecting and disrupting people smuggling. They have been good partners working alongside us to combat this transnational crime. So making the boats available is part of that ongoing relationship. It should not be read as a response to the legislation before the Parliament relating to offshore processing. It's not a response to that. It should not be read in that context. It should be read in the context of our ongoing cooperation and collaboration with Indonesia on transnational crime including people smuggling.
On the first question you asked me, I did raise with President Yudhoyono Schapelle Corby's case. Schapelle Corby has a clemency appeal before the President. I indicated to the President that Australia strongly supports Ms Corby's appeal for clemency. I also raised with him the cases of Mr Chan and Mr Sukumaran who have been sentenced to the death penalty in Indonesia. I indicated to him that if they file clemency appeals, and they have not yet done so, but if they file clemency appeals, then Australia will strongly support those appeals for clemency as well.
JOURNALIST: There was talk of a prisoner transfer or swap arrangement being agreed to some years back. Is there any progress on that?
PM: Last time I met with President Yudhoyono we talked of an international prisoner transfer agreement which would enable the movement of each other's nationals back to jails in our nations. That agreement is still being worked on at officials' level.
We'll go here and then we'll come across.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PM: The President certainly listened to my words and gave me a hearing on those matters.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PM: Look, I'll have plenty of time. Plenty of time to deal with matters associated with ALP National Conference when I'm back home.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you talk about enhancing people to people links in the communiqué but of course there's a travel advisory that urges Australians to reconsider their need for travel. Did the President mention the travel advisories [inaudible]?
PM: No he did not. Our travel advsories are looked at every three months as a matter of assessment. Obviously they are changed very quickly if something happens that requires immediate change. But as a matter of routine they are looked at every three months to see if they are providing the appropriate advice to Australian travellers so the travel advisory here would continue to be assessed through that process but it wasn't raised with me by President Yudhoyono.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you say you raised the US troop deployments with the Chinese Premier. What exactly did you tell him and did he raise any concerns about it?
PM: A briefing had been provided to Chinese officials before the announcement was made. That was done by our Ambassador in China. So clearly the Premier and the Chinese Government in general, officials of the Chinese government were aware of the announcement. I certainly described the announcement to Premier Wen that Australia had made this decision and we would be taking these steps forward in our defence cooperation with the United States. I don't want to canvass in detail matters said in a bilateral meeting. But the attitude of the Chinese Government I think is best summarised by the statements that have come from its Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister how confident are you of getting the mining tax through this week? And on that topic the Opposition says that they'll oppose it but might support some amendments that lessen the impact on mining companies. What do you think about that approach?
PM: Look, I've got plenty of time to deal with that when we're back home as well. But clearly the Minerals Resource Rent Tax will be a big topic of debate in our Parliament this week. But it's an incredibly simple proposition: in this, the Asian century, when we are seeing such strong demands for our resources, and we've really got that section of our economy absolutely turbo charged, that it is appropriate for that section of the economy to pay some more tax and for us to use that tax to spread and balance growth across our economy and to increase our pool of national savings. Now I do understand that the Opposition takes a different view and wants to take benefits off people and give them to big mining companies. That's not my way and that's not the Labor way.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the summit season is over. You're returning home. Do you think you'll scale the heights at the end of the year by pulling off this mining tax?
PM: Paul, that's an elegantly phrased way of re-asking that question behind you. I've got to give you full marks. Clearly, whilst I have been here attending the East Asia Summit and in the bilateral with President Yudhoyono, I have not been in dialogue with people back home on the Minerals Resource Rent Tax. But my view is very simply this: for any Parliamentarian who thinks that in this age of high resource prices where we are taking out the mineral wealth from our grounds and selling it for very high prices and seeing very high profitability in mining, for any Member of Parliament who thinks it's right to use some of that profit to support other businesses, including small businesses, and to put more money into people's superannuation, then that says vote yes.
Thank you very much.