PRIME MINISTER:
Can I just say that I've been very encouraged from the responses that I've had this afternoon from both sides in Congress and the Senate. The general view is supportive and I'm hopeful that it will be ratified and if parliamentary approval is given it will come into force on the 1st of January next year. Now, they have certain processes to go through, I can only report at this stage that have been very encouraged by all the Congressmen and women and Senators that I've spoken to this afternoon. Generally the response has been very good but there are processes to be followed, but I am hopeful that it will receive the requisite support in time for, providing the Australian parliament approves the necessary legislation, in time for it to come into force on the 1st of January next year.
JOURNALIST:
...[inaudible] before the elections both here and in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I respect the Congressional procedures here. I leave it to the relevant people, and the relevant leaders to publicly express their views, I can only report that the response I've had today has been very good.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the difficulties getting it on the calendar, do you think that they're actually going to have time in amongst other things to do that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Leigh, I'm encouraged by what I've heard this afternoon.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Prime Minister, do you think you have the support to pass this back in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the major opposition party has yet to declare it's hand. In my view, it would be against the national interest for any major party in Australia to oppose this agreement because it contains great benefits.
JOURNALIST:
...what concerns were expressed to you, and what did you say to allay them?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, there were very few concerns expressed, there were some questions asked. One senator asked some questions about the operationof the increased beef access, and I explained how that operated. There were no other particular concerns raised. There was very, very warm support from amongst the people I spoke to.
JOURNALIST:
Did they ask how it's going in the Australian parliament?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, ...sorry... if it doesn't come into force on January the 1st, how long can it lay on the table?
PRIME MINISTER:
Geoffrey, I'm working to get it into force on the 1st of January.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, I understand you've been encouraged by your talks with people on Capital Hill today, but Speaker Hastert in the past has hinted that he would be a road block in the way, as there are some concerns not specifically related to the Australia deal, I wonder if you can characterise what Speaker Hastert said to you...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I will leave it to the Speaker to characterise his position. I've had very extensive discussions with both sides, I'm very encouraged by what I've heard, but I'm not going to speak for other people, that is a matter for them to talk about.
JOURNALIST:
Were you surprised at the strength of the President's denunciation of Labor's position on bringing the troops home?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, he speaks for himself, he was asked a question, and he gave an answer to it. Obviously he feels very strongly and I understand that.
JOURNALIST:
Was the position of the Labor party canvassed in the talks you had at the breakfast?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Having spoken to the President this morning, Mr Howard, what's your view now of the proposed Security Council resolution, and what are your thoughts on the implications for the withdrawal of all coalition forces, implicit in that resolution.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I've read the language of the draft, and let's understand that it's not settled yet. I think it's over interpreting the language, to say that it fixes a particular withdrawal date, I think self evidently mandates can be renewed. It's my understanding that when you pass resolutions like this, you give a certain period for the mandate, and often mandates are renewed. I think that's what happened, has happened over a period of time in relation to East Timor. I think the original mandate was for a period of time and then it gets renewed. I think it's over interpreting the resolution to say that it fixes are particular time for renewal.
JOURNALIST:
Back to the trade agreement, in your meeting with President Bush today, did you discuss any of the details of what the White House will do to get the trade agreement through.
PRIME MINISTER:
We didn't go into the detail of that, we certainly talked about the agreement and the President reiterated his very strong support for the agreement and certainly consistent with your constitutional processes here in the United States, he certainly gave me to understand that he would do what he could to get it through.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister have you picked up any unreal expectations through your talks that America might be anticipating access to our pharmaceutical sector for instance, that we might be able to meet through the FTA?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think they're very realistic about that. I haven't picked up anything that's unreal.
JOURNALIST:
They're not anticipating carte blanche on things like pharmaceuticals or labour...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I certainly haven't got the impression from anybody I've spoken to that they particularly want a carte blanche no, because they haven't. I mean this is absurd, what is established is something which produced some greater transparency but the ultimate decision still rests with the minister, and there is no, I mean there is greater transparency and that is a good thing. But we should, none of us object to transparency.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, [inaudible] timetable now for dealing with the, Mr Hicks and Mr Habib. And what, how confident are you that there has no mistreatment of them while in custody.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I can only in relation to treatment, I can only repeat what I've been told and the Americans have promised a careful investigation of the latest claims. Now I can't do more than that. I don't have any direct knowledge, but we will continue to ask for that process. And in relation to Hicks, it is my understanding that the next step would be very shortly, and I mean very shortly, but I'm not going to name a day because in the nature of things, that could slip a tiny bit. And I understand that Habib is soon to be listed as eligible, to use quaint language for a military commission.
JOURNALIST:
Did the President say why its taken so long?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think, I mean I did express a concern about the length of time. And he understood why I was concerned about that, and it's a large system Washington, and things do take time.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard what sort of things will you be briefing Mr Greenspan about tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I will be very happy to be talk about the booming Australian economy, certainly, but I think I'll be also be very interested to hear from him about the trajectory of growth in this country. And what insights he might have about the price of oil.
JOURNALIST:
And what message will you be taking to the National Press Club?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I will be bringing together the strands of the last couple of days and I'll talk about the free trade agreement. I will also talk about the position in relation to Iraq, and the significance of us maintaining our position. I will be looking ahead a bit on Iraq, I think we've been through a difficult two months, there's no doubt about that. Everybody recognises it, the prisoner abuse issue, the upsurge in violence, but we are now looking forward, we've now got an interim Iraqi government which looks a very representative group. We've got Iraqis stepping up to the crease to speak on behalf of their country to talk about the future. That would perhaps in a very direct, visible way, drive home to the people of Iraq that nobody, foreigners don't want to stay there in occupation. The Americans don't want to occupy Iraq, Australians never wanted to occupy any country except our own.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think the worst is over?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, I'm not going to say that Paul. I do acknowledge that the last six weeks has been very difficult. And the President, everybody knows that, its been very difficult. But we've got a basis now for projecting a more positive future, there could well be concerted attempts, intensified efforts to disrupt the situation over the next few weeks. You may get more, you could get more violence during that period of time. I hope not, but you could.
JOURNALIST:
What was the message you got from President Bush ...
JOURNALIST:
... about the transfer of sovereignty and how confident was he about the situation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, he's very positive about the people who have been chosen, and I understand that Sistani has endorsed the interim Iraqi government. He's very determined that the transfer should take place, he's equally determined to maintain an American presence there until the security situation has stabilised. But he is very much looking forward to the transfer on the 30th of June, the elections early next year, and the emergence of a fully democratic Iraq.
JOURNALIST:
Did you give President Bush a more definite timeframe for Australian troops to remain in Iraq.
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon.
JOURNALIST:
Did you discuss with President Bush a more definite timeframe...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no we didn't talk about that, I just, I mean he's very aware, and I made it very clear again that we would leave our troops and our units there until they had completed their tasks. I mean we weren't talking about withdrawal because it's just, at the moment, unrealistic to talk about that.
JOURNALIST:
...[inaudible]... in any of your meetings this afternoon?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, quite frequently...
JOURNALIST:
...and what kind of...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well mainly to express gratitude for the support that Australia has given, that was the main context in which it was raised.
JOURNALIST:
Did any of the other leaders, any of the other people you spoke to this afternoon raise similar concerns that President Bush expressed this morning about Mark Latham's plans?
PRIME MINISTER:
Not that I recall, no.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] Mr Howard you spoke to the President about Abu Graib prison are you absolutely confident there are no implications under international law for the arresting Australian forces who were involved with prisoners who may now have been mistreated...
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sorry...I didn't quite hear all of that...
JOURNALIST:
I'm asking if you're absolutely certain there are no implications under international law, for the Australian forces, who were involved in arresting and detaining prisoners of war, who have subsequently been mistreated under US custody.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am not aware of the basis of any such concerns.
JOURNALIST:
Have you taken legal advice on that point?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the formal advice I've had from my department and I understand similar advice has been given to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is that because of the arrangements that were made when physical custody of prisoners occurred, in that there were American officers there, legal custody of those prisoners was never Australian it was always American.
JOURNALIST:
Did the President shed any further light on how, how and why the abuse took place and what factors led to it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, no he didn't add anything further than what's already in the domain. He talked it and he is very upset about it, and he is determined that those people who are responsible should be punished, and he is appalled by it, I can tell you that,he is very distressed by it, anybody who thinks that he's not is wrong.
JOURNALIST:
...[inaudible] was there any discussion about the recent attack in Saudi Arabia, and what might be the current strategy being adopted by Al-Qaeda?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there was certainly discussion about what's happened in Saudi Arabia. You asked me about the strategy of Al-Qaeda, I don't know that it strayed into that, but we certainly discussed, we certainly discussed - those attacks are self evidently very significant.
JOURNALIST:
How concerned is the President about oil prices.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, he's concerned, I mean we all are.
JOURNALIST:
Would you say you've received assurances that the Administration, and the people on Capitol Hill are committed to the [inaudible] possibly get the trade agreement through Congress by the July recess.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I am very encouraged by everything that I've been told. But I respect the processes of this place, and all I can report is that I am very encouraged by what I have been told.
Thank you.
[ends]