PRIME MINISTER:
Let me start by congratulating both Mr Rann and Mr Lennon on their re-election as Premiers of South Australia and Tasmania. I commiserate with my Liberal Party colleagues in both of those states. There was a very big swing against the Liberal Party in South Australia. In Tasmania there was a small improvement of some two and a half percent in the Liberal Party vote.
There is a message in these results for the Liberal Party and the National Party at a state level, and that is that at a time of strong national economic performance and great national economic prosperity, certainly due overwhelmingly to the polices of the Federal Government, rather than at State Governments, it is natural-worthy or not-for State Labor Governments to claim the credit for the state of the economy in each of their states.
And it therefore follows that unless state oppositions have worked at building a case for change a long time before the election campaign starts, it's going to be very difficult to bring about a change at a state level-in any state of Australia-whilst the economy continues as we all hope it will in this very strong and effective manner. Now that's just a general observation I make and I do so based on an analysis of these results, and of earlier state election results. Any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Do you think industrial relations played a part...
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. That is just a piece of spin and propaganda invented after the result to try and put some federal connection... there are no federal implications in these results. Industrial relations did not figure during the campaign. It's only figured after the results.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard are you suggesting then that your state liberal colleagues are never going to win while you remain in office federally?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I'm not suggesting that at all. What I'm suggesting is that you have to work at building a case for change a long time before the election. You can't hope in an election campaign that something will turn up. Because it's very easy for a State Labor Government to say look at the state of our economy, I mean I heard Mr Lennon and Mr Rann talking about the state of the Tasmanian and South Australian economies. Yes they are doing quite well. I acknowledge that, and I'm glad, and we've worked for 10 years to make it that way. And the point I'm making is that there are plenty of reasons at a state level; I mean for example there are plenty of reasons why people in New South Wales would want a change of State Government - plenty of reasons. And what oppositions have got to do is to build a case for change a long time before the election campaign. You cannot build a case for change in an election campaign.
JOURNALIST:
Did the Liberal Party's in those two states leave their run too late in terms of campaigning?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well let me just restate the proposition and that is you have to work at building a case for change long before the election campaign starts. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister your reaction to revelations in the British High Court that David Hicks has perhaps admitted to training with terrorist organisations?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't react to evidence presented before the court of another country. I don't think that's appropriate. But our position in relation to Mr Hicks is well known. And that is that given the nature of the allegations and given the arrangements that we have hammered out with the Americans regarding the military commission, we believe he should be tried before that military commission. We'd like the trial to be soon. The reason it's held up at the moment is not the fault of the Americans, it is in fact the court process in the Untied States that's holding up his military commission hearing. But our position remains unaltered. As to the evidence before the British Court, I have no comment.
JOURNALIST:
What's your message to Robert Doyle eight months out from elections?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well my message to Robert Doyle is that I'll do everything I can to help him as I did Mr Hidding and Mr Kerin. But state elections are ultimately determined on state issues, as federal elections are determined on the federal issues. And this is even more emphatic now than use to be the case. I mean you couldn't have a starker difference than at the present time. The Labor Party is ringing its hands about its condition federally, and it's just won two state elections.
So people make different judgements. They've been doing it for 10 years. Look at the federal results in New South Wales and Queensland. Compare those with the federal... with the state results in New South Wales and Queensland over the past few years. This old rather immature idea that what happens at a state level washes through federally or vice versa, it's not the case. The Australian people are very clever. They always tend to get it right when it comes to elections. We've got to believe that because we believe in democracy.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard Prince Edward has said that it's okay....
PRIME MINISTER:
Prince Edward?
JOURNALIST:
... to use the word bloody. Do you think that that shows the right decision has been made in the UK?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I welcome the decision of the British advertising authorities. That advertisement was never offensive, never offensive. It was a catchy line, most Australians know that. And I'm not somebody who supports the use of offensive language. It clearly wasn't offensive and I'm glad the British authorities have made the decision that they've made. And I'm sure the events of the past few days have probably drawn a great deal more attention to the advertisement than might otherwise have been the case.
JOURNALIST:
On the issue of selling uranium....
PRIME MINISTER:
On the issue of what?
JOURNALIST:
Selling uranium to India.
PRIME MINISTER:
To India? Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Are you able to say yes or no (inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I point you to the remarks I've made on that issue as recently as last Thursday. I don't have anything to add to or subtract from those remarks.
JOURNALIST:
In terms of the anti... the anti doping inquiry that's been announced during the Games, do you think that... should that announcement have been made during the Games....
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, you can't leave those things. I don't think there's a cloud over the Games. I think the atmosphere here is terrific. I went out walking along the Yarra this morning and everybody is happy. The volunteers are up early getting ready for the marathon. They said I could've you know made a late entry but I have other things to do. I'll see you later.
[ends]