PRIME MINISTER:
Ladies and gentlemen, a quick comment at the beginning and then I'll take your questions. I am very pleased that I've attended this Forum and it has been an excellent opportunity not only to catch up with a number of people, but also to reinforce the very strong involvement of Australia in the region, it's very clear that involvement is seen as natural and genuine and to be expected. The opportunity to talk about the energy partnership between Australia and the countries of north Asia, China of course but also Japan and Korea. The past few days as you know have seen me in both Beijing and Tokyo, it has been a very valuable visit for Australia's long term trading interests and it's a reminder of the investment of time that is necessary for an Australian Prime Minister to make in the relations we have with the countries of the region. I've found in all of my discussions a very strong view that Australia is an energetic, involved participant in the politics, the trade, the economies and most importantly of all the future of this region.
There's just one other matter I wanted to mention, at the end of this news conference my staff will be releasing a letter that was written in August of last year by the former Veterans' Affairs Minister, Mrs Danna Vale, to her Turkish counterpart. It deals with the issue of requests made of the Turkish Government. The reason I've released this letter is that I had thought the answers I'd given indicating that the road works requested in her letter did not relate to the work done on the ANZAC Cove road, that that claim has not, well that explanation has not been accepted and people, including in particular the Opposition, have continued to make false claims in relation to what the Government has said and done and it will be apparent from the letter, when you see it, that the road works she requested were not the road works which have been the subject of discussion. The press release itself is self-explanatory, I should take the opportunity of expressing my continued thanks to the Turkish authorities for the wonderful work they have done over 90 years in caring for this site which is so treasured by the people of both our nations.
Any questions?
JOURNALIST:
What's your reply Mr Howard to the comments made about (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what he said was nothing new. And my reply can best be summarised, well best be found, in the transcript of my interview on AM about 10 days ago.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, he said that (inaudible) no country in the world (should ) of the region (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we don't and I don't see it that way.
JOURNALIST:
Good afternoon Prime Minister, I'm a journalist of (inaudible) and I have one question about why do you have (inaudible) about the energy market in China..
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry?
JOURNALIST:
Why do you have (inaudible) about the energy market in China and what do you (inaudible) of the energy (inaudible) between two countries (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well China's energy demands are growing very extensively and very rapidly and we have large supplies of energy and we are reliable and dependable and predictable and stable and therefore I'm confident that the partnership that we have already established will not only endure but grow because China has the need, we have the capacity and we are very dependable and I'm quite sure as a long term partner China would see great value in Australia.
JOURNALIST:
And what (inaudible) cooperation between the two countries?
PRIME MINISTER:
Between what?
JOURNALIST:
Between Australia and China, what's the next plan?
PRIME MINISTER:
The next plan is to try and negotiate a Free Trade Agreement?
JOURNALIST:
Sorry?
PRIME MINISTER:
We reached an agreement when we were in Beijing to commence negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, and that's the next plan.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you made a point the other day of pointing out that the Chinese Premier and the President made (inaudible) comments about Australia joining the East Asia Summit, but this morning the Malaysian Prime Minister made it fairly plan that unless Australia does accede to this treaty we shall not be invited to Kuala Lumpur in December. Isn't that the case that your Government will have to accede to signing the treaty?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I indicated about 10 days ago after it became apparent that there was a link between the two, that that injected a new element and we're going to study that. But I don't have anything further to say at present. There's no great hurry to respond to that and I don't intend to respond at this time.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister Badawi also said that whatever the Asia Summit involves into the ASEAN countries will always be the core then if you like and the 'plus three' and the plus whoever else (inaudible) won't be (inaudible). How do you see it potentially evolving and does that concur with your...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look I don't really want to comment on that, I mean every country will have a different view. And Lenore, I've said before and I really will repeat it again, the substance of relations between countries is what matters, I am not as fussed about architecture and membership of groups as I am about the substance of relations, that is why I don't regard it as the most important thing in the world to respond immediately in relation to this treaty. Look, I have spent the last three days talking to the leaders of the second and third largest economies in the world. We have reached an understanding to try and negotiate a Free Trade Agreement, we have achieved progress in relation to a feasibility study with Japan. Japan is our best customer, trade flows with China have quadrupled in nine years. I mean let's preserve a sense of perspective.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you said that you were determined to see progress on the Japanese feasibility study and presumably obviously you want to make sure that negotiations with China get a head of steam. Does that mean that you're going to be there until they come to fruition?
PRIME MINISTER:
That is, you know, that is a very, very interesting question Malcolm and all I can tell you is that I have a lot I want to do and people ask me what do I want to, I want to continue doing the best I can for this country, both domestically and abroad.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) context in which uranium has been (inaudible) China?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's come up in the context of China's growing energy needs and what I find interesting is that uranium is more and more on the agenda, it started, I found, at Davos. People were talking about uranium and I found the same thing here and it's interesting isn't it that it has come back on to the agenda because people quite correctly see it as a clean energy source.
JOURNALIST:
Is there any timeframe in which we have to negotiate (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well hang on, we decided 25 years ago out of the Ranger inquiry what the modalities would be in relation to the export of Australian uranium. And the point I've made in my remarks is that we've worked all that out so that if people come along and want to buy uranium we know what we will ask of them in relation to safeguards, we don't have to start from scratch in relation to the safeguards and that gives us a flying start.
JOURNALIST:
How are those negotiations with China going between Australia and (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
In relation to uranium? I think at this stage we're just talking about the issue, the point I'm making is that it's on the agenda whereas a year ago, to my knowledge, I might be wrong on this, but I don't think it was on the agenda to the extent that it is now.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, (inaudible) Al Grassby?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'd like to express my sympathy to his family and he was a colourful figure and I know he will be missed by those who loved him best.
JOURNALIST:
On services Mr Howard, you were talking about the financial services industry and prospects (inaudible). In a bilateral free trade negotiation how far can anyone go in bringing out what is an essentially across the board regulatory system which is difficult, how much...
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't think any, if there's a will, I don't think there is any inability to find a bilateral outcome that suits the intention of the parties.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, on a domestic issue...
PRIME MINISTER:
Domestic issue?
JOURNALIST:
Can you confirm that talks were held 18 months ago on the prospects of Peter Costello becoming Foreign Minister and swapping with Alexander Downer?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I tell you what I can confirm and that is that Mr Costello has never sought to be other than Treasurer and I have never sought to move Mr Costello from the Treasury portfolio to another portfolio. However, it's been common ground between us, because he's the Deputy Leader, that if he ever wanted a change of portfolio he could have it, but he has never sought it and I have never wanted him to go. And just so everybody understands it, I've never wanted Mr Costello to be other than Treasurer.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, in terms of Gallipoli, can you believe that you or your office is in any way deserving of criticism, there has been a great deal of it, about what many people claim is the desecration if you like of one of Australia's (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the allegation that anybody in the Government is responsible for the desecration of this site, I think that's wrong and it's unfair and I reject it. And I reject it on behalf more of others than myself because the day to day responsibility in the Government is naturally held by others, and I reject it on their behalf. You will see from the press release that it was common ground between the Turks and the Australians that some reinforcement of the ANZAC Cove road was needed because of safety and security issues that arose last year and that was common ground. But the extent of what has occurred was not something that we requested. But this is not something where people should be trying to apportion blame, I don't think the Turks, I'm not trying to blame the Turks, I'm just simply saying that I've released this letter because I'm really not willing to have my Government, including myself, unfairly criticised, I think some of the language that's being used by people has been silly and no Australian Prime Minister, Labor or Liberal is ever going to do anything to desecrate the ANZAC site, I mean that really is something that people should hesitate about alleging.
Okay.
[ends]