JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, what will your trip involve today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'll be visiting the Australian police, the Australian Defence personnel and thanking them for the magnificent job they're doing in our name and for the nations of the Pacific in helping the Solomon Islanders. I will also meet Sir Allan Kemakeza, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands and the other members of his Cabinet and talk about progress with the stabilisation action, it has gone very well, it's been a great example of Pacific co-operation and it's important that high level contact between Australia and the Solomon Islands be maintained.
JOURNALIST:
The project's about to move into its second phase, are you as confident that will be as successful?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I believe the evidence suggests that it will be, so far it has gone well, you can never be certain that that will continue, nobody should imagine that this is a risk or danger free operation. There's always a tendency when it goes so very well and goes well quickly for people to relax and think oh well, there's no danger, there's no problem, it's all going to go very smoothly, that often doesn't turn out to be the case.
JOURNALIST:
What will you be telling the troops on the ground?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'll just be saying thank you, that Australia is very proud of the professional and effective job, not only the troops but also the police, this operation is one where the police are at the leading edge, having a strong military presence sends a very strong message to the criminals and rebels that the nations of the Pacific are serious, the long term work is policing work, the first objective is to restore law and order and to assist in the renovation in the Solomon Islands police. The longer term challenge is to improve the quality of governance and also to strengthen the economy.
JOURNALIST:
When would we might be able to expect some of our troops home just yet?
PRIME MINISTER:
I would hope that we might commence a draw down in the not too distant future, but I'm not going to commit myself to anything more precise than that because I just don't know.
JOURNALIST:
How about our troops in Iraq, do you have increased concerns for their safety?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I've always been concerned. People should remember that we have just under 900 personnel in the Iraqi theatre. Now Iraq remains, in certain areas of the country, still a dangerous place so I've had some concern about their safety all along, I don't know that it's been dramatically heightened in the last few days but it is a dangerous place and I want to say how distressed I am at the loss of life by the British in the last few days and of course last week's attack in Baghdad was quite appalling.
[ends]