JONES:
I have our Prime Minister, the Australian Prime Minister John Howard on the line from Tasmania. PM good morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning Alan.
JONES:
PM there's a letter to one of the newspapers today which I thought was most apposite. It said I am watching the unfolding hurricane drama in the US. Why is it that whenever any major disaster happens anywhere else in the world the US offers money, manpower and resources yet I see no mention of even one country saying can we help you America.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australia will help...
JONES:
Right.
PRIME MINISTER:
And I have already instructed my officials to put together a proposal to send an emergency team to the United States, we must discuss this in advance with the Americans because it's no good people arriving and there being no coordination and so forth and nothing for them to do. The most practical way in which we can help is to send people with expertise. If there is other assistance we can usefully give that will be considered. I do not take the view, the selfish view that well America can help everybody else out but in her hours of need...
JONES:
Good on you.
PRIME MINISTER:
People should ignore her.
JONES:
Have you spoke to George Bush?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I haven't. Look I've sent him a personal note. He's got more on his plate at the moment and I've said some things publicly. I've sent him a personal note and he's got an enormous amount on his plate and he's very hand to the helm as far as his own people are concerned. And frankly the best thing a good friend can do for him at the moment is just to...
JONES:
Get out of his way.
PRIME MINISTER:
Get out of his way and let him get on with the job. But I want to send practical help, that's the best thing that we can do. We've had experience at this and I've asked my department, I spoke to them yesterday and they're talking to Emergency Management Australia, to AusAid and all the other agencies, and see what we can put together and when we have that proposal and I'll talk to them later this morning we'll then continue our discussions with the Americans.
JONES:
He is apparently going to visit that region today. I mean there are reports coming out of America which say that this is a greater tragedy than September 11.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh well we don't know the loss of life and the rebuilding challenge is much, much greater, and September 11 was shocking for a whole lot of other reasons. The violent murder of people, this is a natural disaster. But the scale of it is huge and we must prepare ourselves for at least a short term adverse impact on the price of oil because it's had an effect on the domestic oil supplies in the United States, it could render them useless or unavailable for at least a period of weeks and because they will then have to.... or release some supplies from their strategic reserve. But it could have a further adverse effect. Now how long that will last, I don't think any of us know, but the economic consequences of this in the short term could be quite adverse, certainly for the United States.
JONES:
Yes. I mean when you talk about rehabilitation costs of about $39 billion. PM talk of Australians, have you got anything that you can say about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have had no information so far suggesting that Australians are missing, so far. But the situation is so chaotic that, that situation could change. But as of now I have not been told that any Australians are missing.
JONES:
It's frightening isn't it from a human dimension to just think of hundreds of thousands of people with nothing.
PRIME MINISTER:
No absolutely nothing, and it's a reminder that even in the wealthiest country of the world the caprice of nature humbles them. It's quite frightening and our thoughts and sympathies should be with America. And this idea well there're the most powerful, wealthiest country in the world, when something like this strikes the poor and the vulnerable are the same all around the world.
JONES:
Good on you, good on you, good to talk to you, and thank you for your time PM.
PRIME MINISTER:
Okay.
[ends]