PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning, firstly I'd like to announce an additional support measure for those people affected by Cyclone Larry in Far North Queensland. The Government has decided that in addition to the assistance already being provided, it will, as a one-off measure, rebate all excise paid on diesel or petrol required for power generation for businesses, farmers or householders, until there is a full resumption of normal electricity supplies. What has happened is that because of the power being down, a lot of people have had to used diesel and petrol generators in order to get power, they don't normally have to do that. Both of those commodities are quite expensive at the present time, particularly diesel and what we have decided is that from the time the cyclone struck, until full normal power generation has been restored, people who are using petrol or diesel power generators for power purposes, they will be able to get a rebate on the excise paid on that petrol and that diesel. At the moment there is through the tax system, rebates available for certain people in relation to diesel and obviously you won't be able to get it twice, but it will end up being netted-out through the process. This new scheme that I am announcing will be a grant scheme and will basically be done on the; with process of people producing receipts. I therefore encourage people to start getting receipts as from today. If you don't have them or can't get them in relation to fuel that's been purchased for power generation purposes since the cyclone struck, well a statutory declaration will be adequate and this scheme will be administered through Centrelink. Centrelink is already up there and has a presence and it's administering the other schemes. So this is an additional measure of support that meets a general practical need. As power is restored and people no longer need it, well of course it will drop away, it is a one-off measure and it is totally justified in all the circumstances. Can I say that we continue to work closely with the Queensland Government, I strongly support the appointment of General Peter Cosgrove to the position that he has. We will work very closely with him, and yesterday I had a brief discussion with Mr Sandy Holloway who I understand is also joining General Cosgrove's team and although it continues to be a very difficult situation for many people affected, we are satisfied at present that what needs to be done is being done. But I will continue to follow the situation very closely, and if we need to make further announcements, either adding things as I have done this morning, or alternatively, altering in some way the announcements that I made last week, that I will do so. We are determined to help people and we are determined to work very closely with the State Government. This is an occasion where all sections of the Australian community should pitch in and help.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister there has been criticism from the locals that not enough had been done quickly enough to get them over their plight, you don't agree with that?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. Look let me say this, I understand that when something like this happens, people are put under a lot of pressure and I can sympathise with them. But stepping back a bit, and given the magnitude of what's occurred, I believe the response effort has been very good and I am not going to offer any criticism of the Queensland Government or offer any criticism of the local authorities. I did have the benefit, albeit a brief visit there, I thought on the basis of that visit that some of the reports, I stress some of the reports, about the unhappiness of local people were a little exaggerated and were not representative of the experience that I had. My reaction was that people were obviously devastated and affected by what had happened, but they appreciated the tremendous response, the availability fairly quickly of food. We've now got this problem of cash availability solved because there was a bit of a difficulty with the banks through no fault of theirs. Those queues have diminished and sure it is going to take a while for homes to be rebuilt and it is going to take a while for some businesses to be back on their feet, but they will be greatly aided by the measures the Government's announced. I mean you have got a $10,000 clean-up, basically stocking grant and on top of that you have got the concessional loans of which 25 per cent is a cash grant and you have got no payments of principal interest for a period of two years. Now most small businesses will grab that, and they will say that is a very good way of re-financing my operation.
JOURNALIST:
What about the long term unemployment challenge?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the best way to solve the unemployment challenge is to get small business going again. The life-blood of these communities is small business, whether it be a service business or a farming business. Getting them going again is the key to tackling the employment challenge.
JOURNALIST:
Sir, can I take you to Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER:
You can.
JOURNALIST:
On the issue of that, is that a major concern to the Government or is it being overplayed?
PRIME MINISTER:
It is a difficult issue but it will not break relations between Australia and Indonesia. It will not disturb the close friendship that has been developed between the Governments of the two countries, between the Indonesian President and me. I understand why the Indonesians have reacted. We do not support for a moment the West Papuan independence claim. To those who are urging us to do so, I say, we will not. We will continue to recognise Jakarta's sovereignty over West Papua, that's been our position all along. Obviously, the immigration laws of this country have to be implemented and when President Yudhoyono and I spoke about five weeks ago, not last Thursday as some press reports suggested yesterday, we spoke about five weeks ago, he rang me to talk about this issue and he made the statements that have been attributed to him, and I said to him on that occasion, and Mr Downer has repeated this, that those 43 people would be dealt with in accordance with the processes of Australian law. Now that is what has happened. Not an easy issue, but the trust and goodwill that has been established between our two countries, and between our two governments over the past few years, difficult though this issue is, we will not be undermined by this issue.
JOURNALIST:
Will you speak to the President again on this issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't have a plan to do so because I don't think it is necessary. I understand his reaction and I believe he understands our Government's position.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think it will have any impact on negotiations for prison transfers?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't believe it will.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard there are newspaper reports that more West Papuans are planning to come to Australia now following last week's decision, now what is the Government planning to do about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't have any independent verification of that. We will continue to do everything we have done in the past to prevent unauthorised arrivals in this country. I want to make it very clear to anybody who may think that as a result of this decision we have altered our attitude towards illegal, unauthorised arrivals. I want to make it very clear we have not, and anybody who thinks that that decision is some kind of green light for people to resume unauthorised arrivals in this country will be very sadly mistaken. I want to make that very clear.
JOURNALIST:
Will it have any affect on the security package being organised between the two countries?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't believe it will have any impact on that at all.
JOURNALIST:
New IR laws, due to come in tomorrow Prime Minister, how will that change Australians, Australian way of life?
PRIME MINISTER:
Over time it will be very beneficial. I do not believe that the world is going to come to an end or the sky will fall in next week as has been predicted by Mr Combet and Mr Beazley. More jobs will be generated in the small business sector as a result of the removal of the absurd job-destroying unfair dismissal laws. And the greater flexibility for people to make workplace agreements at the enterprise level will lift productivity. The changes that this legislation brings about are changes that will occur over a period of time. The introduction of a national system is a contemporary recognition that more than ever in our history Australia operates as a national economy. We have moved beyond the time when we should have six or eight separate industrial relations systems. For a nation of 20 million people, eight separate industrial relations systems is an absurdity. Now this used to be the view of the Australian Labor Party, this used to be the view of Labor Premiers like Neville Wran, it was certainly the view of former Labor Party leaders and spokesmen, I think at various stages even Mr Hawke may have expressed views in favour of it. But now of course because they don't occupy the Treasury benches in Canberra, they have a different view. Now I think we live in the 21st century, we don't live in the late 19th and we should have a single national industrial relations system. I predict that the scare campaign will go on, I predict also that the scare campaign will fail because people will react according to their experience. Sure some people will complain, I have no doubt about that. There will be a lot of people who will benefit from this through getting job opportunities, young people will get an opportunity to put their step on the bottom wrung of the ladder for the first time, they will benefit enormously.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Blair who as you are aware is here, probably for the last time as the British Prime Minister, what do you plan to talk to him about while he is here?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I am not making any predictions about his future, it is a matter for him. I enjoy a very good relationship with Mr Blair. We may come from nominally different sides of the political arena, but we get on very well and I respect very much the courage that he has displayed on issues such as Iraq where his steadfast, consistent, whole-hearted commitment to the Coalition operation has been in stark contrast to the cut and run philosophy of his contemporaries in the Australian Labor Party. We will talk about Iraq, we will talk about terrorism, we will talk about a number of bilateral issues. I will certainly intend to raise with him the concerns I have about the possible execution of the man in Afghanistan because he has converted to Christianity. I wrote to President Karzai about that matter on Friday. I am filled with disgust about the possibility, that somebody could be executed because of their religion. It breaks every rule of tolerance, it breaks every canon of what the world needs at the moment. If ever the world needed an attitude of 'live and let live' when it comes to religious belief, it is now. I mean we are constantly enjoined to display as a nominally Christian country and quite properly so, tolerance towards non-Christian religions in this country which we do; we do very painstakingly and very properly. I therefore find it deeply offensive that a country that is receiving assistance from our soldiers should contemplate the execution of somebody because they've changed their religion. That is an appalling proposition and I feel very strongly about it. There are reports over night that President Karzai is going to involve himself directly with this issue, I hope he does, he needs to, because I will not drop off this issue. I will not just be content to write a letter and leave it at that, I will continue to press very, very strongly. I do feel very deeply about it, particularly because there are Australian soldiers risking their lives to fight the Taliban and we are not fighting the Taliban to allow something like this to happen.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think that one incident could become a flashpoint for a who change in attitude?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think what will happen as a result of this, and the views I hold I am sure are held by Mr Blair and President Bush, and indeed by the Canadians, the Canadians have 2300 people in Afghanistan, a lot of people have forces in Afghanistan, this is fundamental stuff, you cannot support a regime that allows people to be executed because they have changed their religion. I mean that is about is fundamentally intolerant and as medieval as you could possibly get.
JOURNALIST:
Have you had a response from Mr Karzai?
PRIME MINISTER:
No not yet, no. Anything else?
JOURNALIST:
Apart from writing to him...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think have said a few things this morning haven't I?
JOURNALIST:
What's been your pick down here from the things you've seen at the Games?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I thought the Hockeyroos yesterday was pretty good, the women's hockey.
JOURNALIST:
Did you think you'll be mentioning last night's women's relay to Mr Blair?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I did actually, I mean I actually said that I am sorry about the disqualification and I mean, I obviously said it with a slight smile on my face, but he was, he was sorry about it too.
JOURNALIST:
He didn't mention the Ashes did he Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Ashes? I have already dealt with that. I've moved on from that, I am looking forward.
JOURNALIST:
What do you think the Games have done for Melbourne and Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think what the Games have done is to again demonstrate to the world, how very good this country is at running major sporting events. If you think of the Olympics (inaudible) there is three in my recent experience, in the time I have been Prime Minister, I think of the Olympic Games which of course were the best Games ever according to those that run it. I don't think anybody who experienced the Sydney Olympics could argue that anything could have been done better, that was a magnificent performance and congratulations. The Rugby World Cup, I mean not perhaps followed with quite the fervour in this city as it was in Sydney and Brisbane, and with quite the fervour as I did as a rugby man, and of course the Commonwealth Games. I think that what it shows is that we are very good, we are good organisers, our egalitarian nature means that everybody works together, we don't stand on too much ceremony, but we want ceremony when it is needed. And the volunteers are the open, friendly face of the good heart of Australia to the rest of the world and nothing resonates more with visitors than the friendliness and openness of the people they encounter. I have had so many foreigners say to me, gee this is a friendly place and they don't just mean Melbourne, they mean the whole country. But congratulations to Melbourne. It has done very well and the city has been sparkling and it's entitled to enjoy all of the international approval and notoriety that it's had over the past few weeks. Thank you.
[ends]