PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen could I just start by saying again how immensely proud the entire country is of Commander McGuire and the men and women in the ship's company of HMAS Kanimbla for the tremendous job they did in representing us in doing good work in our name and how very proud we are with their Commanding Officer for the magnificent leadership he provided in such stressful circumstances after the Sea King helicopter disaster. The crew and everybody on the ship got on with their responsibilities despite their grief as they behaved in a way that has done this country proud and the entire nation is immensely in their debt. That's all I wanted to say, if there are any questions I'll be happy to answer them.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it's a magnificent, it's an open-hearted, generous Sydney welcome, a welcome from the people of Sydney and the families in the name of 20 million of their fellow Australians.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister Howard are you going to stay on for a fifth term?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh well can I just say that the position in relation to my leadership has not changed from what I said at the time of the last election. I'm concerned about the interpretation that was placed on my remarks in Athens. The interpretation is that I've adopted a new position, I haven't adopted a new position, my position remains that I will stay as leader as long as my party wishes me to. I am always, of course, at the pleasure of the Liberal Party and at the pleasure of the Australian people. But the interpretation placed on that interview by some in the press this morning to the effect that I have in some way changed or hardened my position or shifted it, is not right. I haven't done any such thing, I have not formed any different position than I had at the time of the election, and that is that I'll remain in the job I now have for so long as my party wants me to and I have not changed that position. It's an incorrect interpretation of the remarks I made in Athens to suggest that I have.
JOURNALIST:
Would you welcome though an opportunity to go ahead (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look having seen an erroneous interpretation being placed on an answer I gave to that question a few days ago, I don't intend to repeat that. All I can say is that the next election will be tough for the Liberal Party and beyond that it's a question of getting on with the job I have. But nothing has changed and any interpretation that I've in some way shifted or hardened my position or throwing down gauntlets to people and so forth, that is completely wrong, I've done no such thing.
JOURNALIST:
Have you spoken to Mr Costello to clear this up (inaudible) contemplating staying on right through the next election?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have a lot of conversations with Mr Costello and we're both colleagues and we'll continue to have conversations. But I'm just telling you what the position is and the position is today as it was yesterday and as it was on the 10th of October last year, the day after the election.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) Mr Costello this morning?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I haven't spoken this morning, no.
JOURNALIST:
We are all getting older (inaudible). Is it harder to back up each day?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I feel very fit Mr Ryan but don't read anything into that, I mean I just feel very fit and I want to feel fit, I think that's terrific. But the trouble if I may say so is that anything I say about my future gets over-analysed and I can understand that. It's the job of journalists to analyse and to interpret, it's the job from time to time for people in my position to correct a misinterpretation.
JOURNALIST:
Why not set a date (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
(inaudible) I'm in the hands of my party but I'm not going to go into this again because you'll get another story and somebody else will get excited and write a bit of commentary. I've just stated what the position is and that is that I will remain in my position for so long as the party wants me to. Full stop, no further questions or correspondence will be entered into. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Beazley you beat him before, will you beat him again (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a wonderful morning Mr Walker and no doubt I will see you at the gates at Kirribilli House at some stage in the future on one of my early morning walks and you'll be wanting my commentary about something or rather.
JOURNALIST:
Will that be for many years to come?
PRIME MINISTER:
Mr Walker I will always enjoy your company no matter what position I hold in the affairs of the nation.
[ends]