BARTLETT:
Prime Minister, how are you this morning?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm very well and I'll bet Western Australians are particularly happy that Ryan Bayley, I think, has taken out the state's first individual gold medal for a number of years and that's great news.
BARTLETT:
Very happy, nice little historic moment for us and I take it you'd be revelling generally in Australia's every increasing tally of medals?
PRIME MINISTER:
Been better than many people thought and what's been good is that it's been across the board. It's been in a number of areas such as cycling, that people didn't we would do as well. Sure we were always do well in swimming, overall it's been a fantastic result and I thought Anne Saville bronze in the walk was excellent because the poor girl has been disqualified four years ago in Sydney...
BARTLETT:
Oh Jane Saville, yep.
PRIME MINISTER:
Jane Saville, I'm sorry and it is really terrific when somebody suffers that disappointment and then bounces back so very effectively and goes through all the trauma and discipline and waiting of four years and finally makes it and I'm sure Jane is feeling very happy.
BARTLETT:
Yeah, no, it was a fantastic ending. Speaking of endings, only a few days to go. Will the end of the Olympics coincide with the end of your term of Government?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, no. The Government won't end with the Olympics.
BARTLETT:
So parliament will definitely resume next week will it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh well, parliament is scheduled to meet next week. If you're asking me have I decided when the election is going to be held, no I haven't but obviously it's getting closer and I thought it was a good idea that the Olympic Games occupy centre stage and people have the opportunity of enjoying the Olympic Games, that was the wish of the Australian people and they have enjoyed it and the team has done extremely well.
BARTLETT:
So parliament definitely resuming next week, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Parliament is scheduled to meet next week. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
BARTLETT:
Will you be there?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we're scheduled to meet.
BARTLETT:
So you can guarantee you will be there next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
We are scheduled to meet.
BARTLETT:
What's left on the legislative agenda?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh well, there's always things. I mean, for example, if next week we could introduce the proposals in relation to increasing the private health insurance rebate for people over 65 and 70.
BARTLETT:
You will do that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we certainly will legislate for that, we have to legislate for it. It won't come into operation until the 1st of April and there's about a million people over the age of 65 have private health insurance and this is a very necessary additional reward because a lot of those people are on quite low incomes. It's a myth to think that older people who have private health insurance are all wealthy. I know many people whose incomes are lower than $20,000 a year in that age cohort who have scrimped and saved all of their lives to have the peace of mind that they believe private health insurance gives them and another 100 or 200 dollars boost to the payment of their premiums will be a very welcome thing for those people and as I say you're dealing with in aggregate about a million people over the age of 65 who have private health insurance of which a large proportion are on low incomes, low or modest incomes and I think it is a very timely and necessary reward and I'm very disappointed that so far the Labor Party and all of the minor parties have expressed opposition to this measure because I think they're displaying an insensitivity to that section of our older population.
BARTLETT:
A million people you say?
PRIME MINISTER:
There are a million people over the age of 65...
BARTLETT:
That's a lot of votes.
PRIME MINISTER:
...in Australia who have private health insurance and my understanding is that the levels of health insurance in Western Australia are at least equal to or perhaps above the national average. So you are talking about a lot of people here who are in the main on quite modest incomes and this is a recognition that whilst things are good generally, many of these people have not seen their incomes rise as perhaps as sharply as people in the workforce. Lower interest rates are not of such benefit to self-funded retirees as they are to home buyers and small businessmen because many self funded retirees live on the interest and some of their investments. So every extra few hundred dollars that can go towards necessary costs and expenses for people in that age group is very important and we therefore very strongly support this policy because we believe in both the public system and a private system - we don't favour either. It's not an either-or situation.
BARTLETT:
We can mark you down for that definitely can we next week in parliament - introducing the private health rebate bill?
PRIME MINISTER:
Parliament is scheduled to meet next week.
BARTLETT:
But are you definitely going to introduce it next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, if parliament is scheduled to meet obviously that is a piece of legislation that would be introduced, of course.
BARTLETT:
Well, you've just told me how important it is, so can we mark that down for next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, parliament is scheduled to meet next week. I can't be more explicit than that.
BARTLETT:
If you'd like to talk to the Prime Minister give us a ring - 9484 1720 or 1800 626 720. Prime Minister, I've got to ask you this because...
PRIME MINISTER:
Pleas ask me anything you'd like.
BARTLETT:
You seem to be building a bit of a head of steam. Do you think your personal credibility has become a big issue in the electorate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the Labor Party is trying to make it an issue.
BARTLETT:
Well, Labor's released the document claiming that you lied 27 times. In response to that you release a 12-page document defending yourself?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, why shouldn't I defend myself? If you were accused falsely of telling lies - would you remain silent?
BARTLETT:
Why respond so robustly if you don't think it's an issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because if I don't respond some people will believe it. I'm not going to have my reputation which I have fought very hard to protect and defend and build over 30 years in public life. I'm not going to have my reputation dented by scurrilous accusations and false accusations that I've told lies and that is why I respond robustly. This idea that you just let these things go over your shoulder and you ignore them is silly because some people believe lies that are told about you. I mean, let me give you an illustration. The very first lie that I'm alleged to have told is that in 1995, I said that we would retain Medicare in its entirety including bulkbilling and I gave that absolute commitment. Now they claim that was a lie because we now don't have universal bulkbilling and that bulkbilling rates are now a little lower than what they were in 1996. Now they say that represents a lie. The reality is that when Medicare was first introduced it was never promised that bulkbilling would be universal. The father of Medicare Dr Blewett always acknowledged that the question of whether you would be bulkbilled would be a matter for your doctor. So on the basis of the fact that the bulkbilling rate now is a little lower than it was in 1996 and indeed we've taken measures and I'm sure they're working to boost the level of bulkbilling, on the basis of that they say I told a lie in promising in 1995 to retain Medicare. Medicare is the right to free treatment in a public hospital and the right to have the Medicare rebate if you consult a doctor. They are the two principles of Medicare..
BARTLETT:
Alright.
PRIME MINISTER:
...no, I'm sorry. I'm quite intent on finishing this because this an illustration to your listeners.
BARTLETT:
Yep.
PRIME MINISTER:
So therefore that is a lie is it? Now, I am not going to stand by and allow scurrilous stuff coming out of the ALP headquarters to falsely accuse me of deceiving the Australian public because that is my reputation and the view people have of me is important to me.
BARTLETT:
Some of these accusation, it would be fair to say, Prime Minister...it would be fair to say Prime Minister, some of these accusations like the example you've used have been brought up before and you have ignored it.
PRIME MINISTER:
No I haven't.
BARTLETT:
You've let it go over your shoulder.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I'm sorry, I haven't.
BARTLETT:
There's a few out of these 27 accusations - is it a case that you're worried that more and more people are thinking that you're a liar?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Liam, I haven't ignored them in the past but no document like this has been put forward before. But whether I've ignored some of them in the past or not, I'm not going to remain silent when people make false accusations because silence often implies acknowledgement, acquiescence or consent.
BARTLETT:
Is the credibility problem showing up in any of your party's polling?
PRIME MINISTER:
Certainly, our polling indicates that we are in a very strong position but I'm not going to go into the details of it. I don't talk about the details of our internal polling whether we're doing badly, well or middling - I just don't talk about polling. I just deal with accusations and if somebody makes a false claim about you, do you ignore it?
BARTLETT:
I do not, but I'm not the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
But you're a human being. I mean, we all have characteristics in common and I just say to your listeners that if somebody makes a false accusation I am going to reply to that false accusation and there were 27 totally absurd claims made and I replied to them in some detail and with some vigour. Now, some people will say, oh, he's overreacting. Other people will understand and say that's the right thing to do. I don't care how people commentate on my reaction. I'm just saying to your listeners that those claims where wrong and I've given an example of one of them. Can I take one other one which is central in people's mind - the GST. Now I did say in 1995 that we'd never ever have a GST after we were elected in 1996 we changed our mind on that but we didn't introduce the GST before going back to the people. We actually went back to the people and said - we have changed our minds, we are now going to introduce a GST, it is a central issue in the 1998 election, if you don't want the GST introduced you will vote us out of office and the public returned us in 1998. Now I don't think anybody could say that that represents the telling of a lie. I mean, we couldn't have been more open... contrast, in 1993 Mr Keating campaigned against the GST but didn't tell us that when he was re-elected he'd increase all the sales taxes and abolish his L-A-W law tax cuts. I mean, that was deceitful because he didn't face the people again having changed his position.
BARTLETT:
Have you ever lied to the Australian public?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have never set out to mislead the Australian public. I have never set out to mislead the Australian public. Now in the...
BARTLETT:
Have you ever been guilty of bending the truth?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I have never set out to mislead the Australian public, I put my case strongly, as all political leaders do. But the issues that have come up in relation to this, I mean we've got this debate over the children overboard. Well, there's a simple difference, a recollection of a telephone conversation between Mr Scrafton and myself. I dispute his recollection. I rang him to talk about a video, I dispute his recollection about the other aspects of the issue. But the fact is that our original statements on that were based on advice and it wasn't until after the election that we were formally told conclusively by the Defence Department that the original claims were wrong and, indeed, up until I think February of after the election the head of the Defence Force was still asserting that it was his view that the children had been thrown overboard.
BARTLETT:
Is there any situation in which you would consider lying to the Australian public?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
BARTLETT:
Prime Minister, the Indonesian court's decision to throw out charges against one of the key Bali bombers (inaudible) the Foreign Minister says he's very concerned about the situation, he hopes the Indonesians can take further action against him. Well, what's your feeling? Have you been briefed further?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'm disappointed, like Alexander Downer is. It appears that this particular man was not convicted of an offence in relation to the Bali attack because the constitutional court decision applying prospectively affected his trial. Now it doesn't automatically follow that people already in custody and already convicted of offences can be freed as a result of the constitutional court decision.
BARTLETT:
No, but do you think the other Bali bombers are likely to appeal?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I would be surprised if they didn't receive advice to try to do so and that would be a matter of enormous concern to us and we are in touch with the Indonesian authorities. In the end, it has to governed by the Indonesian legal system and it should be said in fairness to the Indonesians that they don't have any interest at all in these people being let off, they have worked very hard and have co-operated very closely with Australian authorities to have them brought to justice and we will be pressing very strongly that they be brought to justice. But at the moment, the people who've been convicted remain in custody and in relation to a number of them they remain under the threat of the death penalty.
BARTLETT:
It's still hard to understand, is it not, why it's so difficult to bring to justice someone who has confessed to killing people.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I... of course I do, it may well be that they could have been prosecuted under some different law in Indonesia but the decision was taken by the Indonesian authorities. Liam, it's a very difficult position for me. I feel a great sense of responsibility and I feel a very heavy involvement but they are being prosecuted and punished in another country. The crime was not committed in Australia it was committed in Indonesia and therefore, according to all of the principles of international law, they have to be tried in Indonesia. Now we will continue to put all the legitimate pressure we can on the Indonesian Government to make certain that these people remain in jail, remain punished and remain fully accountable before the law. Exactly how it works its way through, I can't be certain at the moment but I can promise the families of the victims that no stone will be left unturned by my government to see that these people remain behind bars.
BARTLETT:
Prime Minister, let's take some calls, go to the phones. It's 13 to nine. Elaine is first caller. Hello Elaine.
CALLER:
Oh, good morning. I was wondering if I could ask Mr Howard a question please about having the $200 rebate on private medical...
PRIME MINISTER:
Certainly.
CALLER:
What's going to happen about paying the gap? I don't think too many pensioners or self-funded retirees can afford to pay the extra if you have to go to hospital or have any treatment?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the proposal relates to an additional subsidy for the private health insurance premium, it doesn't relate to the gap. Now in relation to the gap, of course if you're dealing with any out of hospital treatment the new safety net will be of benefit.
CALLER:
Right.
PRIME MINISTER:
And if you are dealing with gaps in relation to hospital treatment, well there are different arrangements applying according to which particular hospital you might go to, some of those arrangements provide significant coverage of the gap, some of those arrangements don't. Now that still remains of course a deficiency, but it is a deficiency which has been significantly reduced over recent years because of arrangements that have been introduced in relation to gaps and, of course, the great thing about the safety net is that if you are treated out of hospital by a specialist, for example, or if your doctor happens not to be a bulkbilling doctor then you can accumulate all of your expenses over $300 a year if you're a cardholder and you get 80 per cent of the excess back.
CALLER:
Yes, but the lot of operations, I think the gap would be about $4,000.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, there are a number of operations... look, I'm not pretending that there still aren't gaps but the arrangements that have been made over the years have, in many of those cases... in many cases have reduced those gaps. But, obviously, there are always additional things that can be done. We think providing people with that extra incentive to retain their private health insurance is a very valuable, across the board supplement for older Australians.
BARTLETT:
Alright, Elaine, thanks very much for calling this morning. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Hello, Seamus.
CALLER:
Hello, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes?
CALLER:
I'd like to ask you a question, how you think about the 7.30 Report last night when the people of the electorate of Bennelong are turning against you... all the blue rinse set seemed to be challenging your ability to lead the country and you are over here in Perth obviously because there's three marginal seats....
BARTLETT:
No, the Prime Minister's in Sydney Seamus.
CALLER:
Oh, sorry. Well, I would like to find out how he's reacting to the 7.30 Report last night.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I didn't see the program, I was given a report of it, I was out at a meeting. But I never take my electorate for granted Seamus. A lot of the people who were at that meeting, of course, don't come from Bennelong. There was a large number of people who were imported. I have my critics, of course I do, and I will just answer their criticisms as I normally do. But prime ministers always attract a lot of opponents. The longer you remain prime minister the more high profile critics you attract because I take strong stand on issues, I have never been a person reluctant to state my view and if you take a strong stand on a range of issues inevitably there will be a lot of people who are very strongly opposed to you. I did happen to see a grab from, on the late night news, from a journalist who attended the meeting and she made the rather remarkable statement that if the Liberal Party were to win the next election it would mean that democracy were dead in Australia. Hardly an objective comment. I mean I understand somebody who is opposed to the Liberal Party saying well if the Liberal Party wins the next election that will be bad for Australia, just as other people say if the Labor Party wins the election that will be bad for Australia. But to say that the party democratically elected victory means the end of democracy is a measure of how shrill and irrational the criticism of this government has become. And the difficulty for some people is they didn't really accept the outcome of the last election and they're still fighting the last election three years later.
BARTLETT:
Let's move. Seamus thanks very much for your call. Good morning Peter.
CALLER:
Yeah good morning, good morning Mr Howard, how are you?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm very well.
CALLER:
That's good. Look I just rang up to say I think you've done a pretty good job with the economy since you have been in office, obviously there's a lot of things that people don't agree on what you do but you've got to look at the interest rates and how the economy is going and it just frightens me that Labor, if they do get in, they promise a lot of things and they do deliver, but at the end of the day it's the Australian public that has to finance it I suppose and I'd just go back to when you know the interest rates were so high and that's a scary thing for today on how many people are now sort of getting into houses. So I think you've done a pretty good job.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Peter I thank you for that. Interest rates will be a big issue in this election and there's no doubt that when Labor was last in office interest rates went through the roof, a lot of people remember that. And because their policies are always more profligate and big spending than ours the likelihood of interest rates going up under a future Labor Government are much greater, is much greater than under a Coalition Government. We have the runs on the board, the interest rates are much lower under us than they were under Labor and it follows from that that under a Latham Labor Government they would be higher than they will be under a Howard Government. I think it is a very pertinent issue.
BARTLETT:
How much higher would they be Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well they will be higher. It's impossible to put a mathematical figure. I just point to the track record and when the Keating Hawke governments were in office interest rates were horrendously higher, they went to 17-18 per cent for housing, 21 and 22 for farms and small businesses. And look at where those interest rates are today and look what it's done, look at the stability we have, the jobs and the general stability of the economy.
BARTLETT:
Peter thanks for your call. Good morning Hank.
CALLER:
Good morning Liam. John, just a quick question. Earlier in reply to Liam's question on this business in Indonesia you said that the Government is putting a lot of effort into trying to ensure that these bombers stay in jail. Why aren't we getting the same efforts in the defence of Hicks in Guantanamo Bay?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he's being tried, these people have been convicted. These people have been convicted, Hicks hasn't been convicted. The debate about Hicks...
CALLER:
... doesn't seem to be getting much help from the Australian Government is the point.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't agree with that, I don't agree with that. The rules under which he is being tried before the military commission were significantly altered as a result of Australian Government requests. The death penalty for example won't be applied. Many other principles of the commission have been changed so that they accord with the criminal justice system in Australia. If he is convicted we'll negotiate with the Americans for his sentence to be served in Australia...
BARTLETT:
What about if he's found not guilty?
PRIME MINISTER:
If he's found not guilty we will be saying that he should be let go.
BARTLETT:
But why have you allowed an Australian citizen to face a court that is not bound to free him if he is found not guilty? What sort of justice is that?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, hang on, there is no international law that says that if your citizen is arrested overseas you have a right to demand your citizen's return. If an American comes to Australia and commits a crime in this country America does not have the right to say to Australia you send him back to America and we'll try him over here.
BARTLETT:
No but they know that if he's facing an Australian court and he's found not guilty he is freed. That's not the case in David Hicks.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I can tell you Liam if he is found innocent he will be let go.
BARTLETT:
You can guarantee that?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am sure he will be let go.
BARTLETT:
Prime Minister, let's move onto Gerry. Good morning Gerry.
CALLER:
Good morning Liam, good morning Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how are we looking financially in the country? Are we going alright are we?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well financially the country is in very good shape, our debt is low, our unemployment is low, our inflation is low, our interest rates are low and generally speaking business is very strong, not everywhere but generally speaking business is very strong.
CALLER:
Righto. So what about an election promise on what you're going to do to knock some of the tax on the head and lower our fuel because I tell you what, the average person on the street who works damn hard is not remotely interested about foreign policy and what's happening overseas, he's interested in feeding his family. So what are you going to do to the average Aussie and forget about the corporates for once? And I'm going to hang up and listen to your answer.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we have already done a lot about the average family. If you have children and you're receiving family tax benefits you would have received the one-off $600 boost at the end of last year and if you put in your tax return and your family tax payments have been reconciled you'll become entitled in the next few weeks to an additional $600 a child. So this an additional tax benefit for your children.
BARTLETT:
What about fuel tax Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well no, he's talking about helping the average family, tax, and he's also talking about fuel. Fuel is dear at the moment because the world price of fuel has gone up. That hasn't resulted in the Federal Government collecting any more excise because excise is a fixed amount on the per litre, so whether fuel is a $1.20 a litre or 90 cents a litre the Federal Government collects the same amount. There may well be an increase in the amount of money the states are getting from the GST on fuel because all of the proceeds of the GST goes to the states. We of course don't control the world price of fuel and it is very painfully high at the present time but it's not due to increases in tax, it is due to the fact that the world price of petrol has gone up.
BARTLETT:
Well we'll have to leave it there. Gerry, thank you very much for your call. Prime Minister thanks very much for your access today.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
BARTLETT:
Just on the way out, a simple yes or no answer, will we see you in Federal Parliament next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Parliament is scheduled to meet next week.
BARTLETT:
You can't give me a yes or no?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I've just given you the answer. Parliament is scheduled to meet next week.
BARTLETT:
Thanks for joining us.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]