PRIME MINISTER:
Could I just start by saying what fantastic employment numbers we've had today, 67,000 new jobs, unemployment down to 5.6 per cent, the participation rate is up. This is a wonderful human dividend of good, strong economic policy. The goal of good economic policy is to help people back to work and we're doing it in spades and I'm so delighted on the eve of Easter that we've been able to see such very good news for many individual Australians and for many Australian families.
JOURNALIST:
What does that point to for future unemployment rates?
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
What does that point to for future unemployment rates? How low do you think we can go?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I never like to set benchmarks on these things. I simply observe that for the first time since 1968 we have unemployment well below six per cent and inflation below three per cent and it's unambiguously good news. If the opposition parties in the Senate were to let through our unfair dismissal laws then we could see an even further reduction in unemployment.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, John Valder's comments, quite a nasty attack on you, war crimes tribunal reference to invading Iraq. How do you take criticism like that from someone who held a very senior position within your party?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, John has a fairly strong emotional view about this and I don't really respond.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, Malcolm Fraser says it's clear that the Americans are no longer running the country in Iraq given current events. How do you feel given that he was defence minister during the Vietnam War, his insight, how accurate his insight might be, how valuable his opinion is?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, for a long time now I've made it a habit not to comment on anything that Malcolm has said. As far as the current situation in Iraq is concerned, it's obviously more difficult than it's been for a while and that is an added reason why the position being taken by Mr Latham is so wrong and irresponsible. It is the wrong message to the Iraqi people. They need our support and our solidarity, not our notice to quit at a time like this. At a time like this we should be expressing complete partnership and solidarity with our allies in Iraq. We send the wrong signal to people who would deny to the Iraqi people a democratic future. This is not the behaviour of the majority of the Iraqi people. It is the behaviour of a group of people determined to deny Iraq a democratic future and it would be a retreat from what Australia believes in and stands for for it to bail out at a time of difficulty and trial. It would send all the wrong signals to all of the wrong people.
JOURNALIST:
Is there any consideration for a change of role in Australian troops?
PRIME MINISTER:
We haven't received any request at all. I think what we are doing is very valuable work. It is not a time to be reducing it. It's a time to be staying there and seeing it through and the psychological effect of Australia, even publicly speculating about leaving would be very negative.
JOURNALIST:
Have you spoken to Mr Bush lately about...
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Do you expect to receive a call from him? I understand he's been briefing Mr Blair.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I haven't spoken to him.
JOURNALIST:
The Army and Navy trainers are due to come back over the coming months in the lead up to Christmas. Are you committed to redeploying others in their place?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we are committed to ensuring that every element of our deployment completes the task given to it.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
You can't put an exact day or month on that and people who call for me to say when they're going to come home are playing politics. Mr Latham has just launched into full on politics on this issue. His every utterance is a political utterance. It's not the utterance of a responsible political leader. This is a difficult time. And I think the majority of Australians want us to stick with it at a difficult time, not to be scoring political points against our opponents.
JOURNALIST:
Could we see an upgrade of Australian... the role of Australian troops playing in Iraq at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
We haven't received any request and I don't at the moment see any circumstances that would lead to that.
JOURNALIST:
Is this Australia's Vietnam?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, look, those comparisons are politically inspired, historically inaccurate and designed not to help but to hinder.
JOURNALIST:
Any comments about Robert Sangster's death?
PRIME MINISTER:
I've heard a few moments ago and I extend my condolences to his family.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, those Navy and Army trainers are, though, scheduled to come back before Christmas. Are you ruling out replacing them or are you committing...?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, what I'm ruling in is them doing the task that they were assigned to do.
JOURNALIST:
Could you see any circumstance where more Australian troops could be sent to Iraq?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I don't speculate about a serious issue, I simply state the current facts. And that is that the deployment we have there is appropriate. They're doing an excellent job. They'll stay there until their tasks are completed, all of them. And we've not received any request for further assistance. So, I'm not going to get into this silly word game. This is a very serious issue, a very serious issue and it is not an issue where political leaders should be playing politics and scoring cheap political points and making historically inaccurate comparisons. That is the stuff of cheap party politics. It is not the sort of language that a serious issue warrants and it ought not to receive such treatment. Thank you.
[ends]