JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, what would be the deciding factor in you calling a federal election?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, I'm not going to get into speculation about that. There'll be an election sometime this year and I don't have anything to add to what I've said on it before.
JOURNALIST:
You said, you usually follow gut on decisions on election days - what does your gut tell you now?
PRIME MINISTER:
What is the next question?
JOURNALIST:
You (inaudible) Sunday, you maybe doing something Sunday...
PRIME MINISTER:
Have you got a serious question?
JOURNALIST:
Any comment on claims about Mr Latham....
PRIME MINISTER:
No, none whatsoever.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think fidelity or the question of infidelity should be involved in politics at all?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I'm not getting in to that stuff okay.
JOURNALIST:
Are confident of winning this time round - how are you feeling at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it will be a very difficult fight and I think it's a really difficult fight and I think the fact that we've been in office for eight and a half years is a challenge. It's always hard to get elected for a fourth time, on the other hand we have a very good story to tell and people know where we stand on issues. The problem the Labor Party has is you don't know where they stand on anything. I haven't really got an idea of what their policies are, they haven't given us any detail. Whereas we are an open book, everybody knows what we believe in - even those people who disagree with us respect us for the fact that we've taken a strong stand and I think that will be something that I hope will work in our favour.
JOURNALIST:
So do you think you'll pick up any seats in Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'm not going to get into the micro-analysis of it. I hope we hold what we've got in Victoria and win a couple, but that's going to be tough. The whole election will be very tough for us whenever it's held. I don't think we have any more questions, do we?
JOURNALIST:
...quick reaction to the...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think it's fantastic and Melbourne of course is a great Greek city, it has a wonderful tradition and I share their enthusiasm and their joy that the Greek team has done so well and I reckon the crowd watching the match when it comes will be very large indeed and not least in Melbourne.
JOURNALIST:
...Mr Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think every, you know, my instinct is I hope that Greece does win. Of course, I do because I think they've been very...it'd be wonderful if they won on the eve of having the Olympic Games in Athens. I think it would be a wonderful focus on Greece's contribution to sport and the Greek contribution to the Olympics this year - I think it would be a wonderful double, wouldn't it?
JOURNALIST:
What game are you going to tomorrow here?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think I'll probably go to the match between Carlton and Sydney, but nobody should infer from that that I'm barracking from Sydney. You'd be wrong.