SHANE MCLEOD:
Prime Minister thanks for joining AM.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning.
SHANE MCLEOD:
You've just finished the APEC Leaders' Summit, what sense did you get from leaders about the level of fear there is over bird flu?
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a calm atmosphere but a very determined one. People are worried. They are determined to take steps to contain an outbreak if it occurs. But much more desirably, stop one occurring in the first place. I didn't get any sense of panic. But people are very aware of the nature of the challenge and I found a great sense that everybody wanted to cooperate.
SHANE MCLEOD:
On trade, you got the strong statement you've been looking for, but I understand you had been pushing for it to be a bit stronger, to name the European Union for example. Are you disappointed that didn't happen?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think given the variety of countries that make up APEC, it was remarkable for its unanimity and remarkable for its single-minded statement of principle, and that is we need to make progress on agricultural protection. Agricultural protection is the deal breaker for the WTO. If we don't get progress on that, then we're not going to get progress on other fronts. And for the first time in years a very generous, significant offer has been made by the United States. Even America's fiercest critics on trade would have to acknowledge that the American offer goes a long way and reciprocity from the European Union is clearly now needed.
SHANE MCLEOD:
Do you think the fact that Japan has signed on to this will that change the dynamics now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's very significant. Japan as you know has quite high levels of agricultural protection. Japan is a very valuable trading partner of Australia's, and I want to put that on the record again and again, but there's no doubt we would like to see lower agricultural trade barriers in Japan and the fact that Japan has signed up to this declaration of principle is very significant and all roads in a sense now, or all signposts, are in the direction of Brussels.
SHANE MCLEOD:
Did the incident with Singapore over Van Nguyen, did that mar the first few days of APEC for you? Did it make it a problem for you?
PRIME MINISTER:
No it didn't. That was a bilateral issue, or is a bilateral issue. Our views on that remain well known. We are intensely opposed to the execution of Mr Van Nguyen. We believe there remains a very strong case for clemency given his previously clean record, his co-operation, the fact that he was doing it, wrong though it was, out of concern for the position of his brother. It is a desperately sad case and we remain very regretful that the execution is going to go ahead. But, it's not going to contaminate our bilateral relationship with Singapore. It's another opportunity, I guess, to say to Australians contemplating travel in Asia, please don't think you can traffic in drugs and get away with it, because you can't.
SHANE MCLEOD:
Should it have an impact though? I mean Australians seem to be quite upset about this. There are calls for boycotts of Singapore ...
PRIME MINISTER:
No you don't do that. You don't trade these things off, the one against the other. There is strong public feeling on this issue within our country. It's not unanimous but there is strong feeling, and clearly that is one of the consequences that the Singaporean Government has no doubt taken into account in maintaining its position. But as an instrument of policy I certainly am opposed to saying, well, of course the Singaporean Government is going ahead with this execution we're going to take such and such a position on a trade issue. That is not sensible and it's not going to serve any good purpose. But the Singaporean Government should not imagine that this incident, this issue is going unnoticed in Australia. There is great feeling and there's great conviction in our country that on this occasion, the death penalty should not be imposed.
SHANE MCLEOD:
What would you say people should do over the next two weeks? People are...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that really is a matter for individuals. I have dealt with the matter in an appropriate way. At a head of Government level I have put my case very strongly...
SHANE MCLEOD:
But there's nothing more we can do?
PRIME MINISTER:
..I have spoken to...well at a Government level there is nothing more we can do because the Government of Singapore has made it very plain despite all of the entreaties, that it is going ahead with the execution.
SHANE MCLEOD:
Prime Minister, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]