PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think the important thing is, about this visit, is the wide range of extensive discussions starting on Monday, that I'll have first of all with the new Chairman of the Fed and then with all the senior members of the administration-and they will be the most extensive I think I've had with the administration in all of the visits I've paid. And they'll be with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the special trade representative and his successor, and I'll also have a formal meeting with the Cabinet after my discussion with President Bush. So it will be an unparalleled opportunity to not only touch on issues such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but also all the other aspects of the bilateral relationship.
JOURNALIST:
Is there anything of substance to report from your lunch tody with Vice President Cheney?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh no, we had really a more of a general discussion about...some discussion about US domestic politics, and also we did have some discussion about Iraq, and we all agreed that the formation of a new government of national unity in that country would be very important and very positive, and we're both...all of us of the view that the new nominee for the Prime Ministership of the country is a very positive thing. He's a person of great strength and experience, and the formation of a government of national unity will be of great benefit.
JOURNALIST:
Did the energy issue come up Mr Howard?
PRIME MINISTER:
No it didn't, I think it's a bit early to be talking in detail about those things. They will come up in the formal discussions.
JOURNALIST:
Is that an important...will that be an important element of your discussions over the next couple of days?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it will be one of a number of things. We of course have had some discussions on earlier visits about supplying LNG to the United States, but naturally they are things that will be the subject of commercial negotiations.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister in your discussion of domestic politics did the impact of petrol prices come up in terms of....
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh not specifically, no.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard on the nuclear issue, there's been a bit written about it in the last couple of days, is it a concern of yours that Australia maybe asked to take nuclear waste back from countries we export uranium to?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh I think everybody's just running ahead of themselves on this issue. There's been some talk about certain proposals-I'll be interested to learn a little more about it, I have a interest in it, Australia has an interest in it-but we're not concerned about anything, we haven't been asked to do anything and I think we just have to allow any proposals to emerge, and we'll respond accordingly.
JOURNALIST:
Nevertheless Prime Minister, could you contemplate or should Australia contemplate a time when we would be asked, if you like, to take the waste of other countries-that is perhaps uranium provided by Australia? That is certainly something that George...
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I don't really intend Steve to speculate about a totally hypothetical proposition.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard on a domestic issue, Jackie Kelly wants to meet you to talk about childcare. She says Labor is taking that issue more seriously than her own government. Does she have a point?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the childcare policies of the Government are far superior to Labor's, but I'm always happy to talk to my colleagues.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister anything that you can do to update us on East Timor, any troop movements, ship movements?
PRIME MINISTER:
No there's nothing I can add to what I said yesterday. We are in a position to assist if we are asked. Naturally we will only do something if we are asked. But we have put ourselves in a position to respond if that request does come.
JOURNALIST:
If the request though is for troops, they will get troops?
PRIME MINISTER:
We will respond to any request that is made.
JOURNALIST:
But if you were the nominator...sorry.
PRIME MINISTER:
No look... I'm not, sorry... is this on the same subject?
JOURNALIST:
This is a follow up question.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. Oh look I'm not going to hypothesise about the composition of any response we might provide, okay.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Prime Minister Alkatiri has threatened to resign, what's your comment on that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that's a matter for the domestic political process in East Timor. We must respect the fact that East Timor is an independent country and we will only do something there if we are asked.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard Mr Ramos-Horta said yesterday that he hadn't been aware that the ships were being positioned. Can you explain that confusion?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well naturally what happens in relation to Australian military assets is a matter for Australia. We wouldn't normally tell other countries what we're doing with our military assets, anymore than they would tell us what they're doing with theirs. So there's nothing to explain and there's no confusion.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) and that the East Timorese government...
PRIME MINISTER:
We maintain regular contact with all governments on matters that are relevant to matters of bilateral interest.
JOURNALIST:
We were talking about troops and troop numbers in Iraq. How much will the so-called arch of instability and issues in the Solomons, East Timor and Fiji figure in your discussions and your considerations?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the capacity of our military as such that if we are required to do something in relation to East Timor, that will not affect our contributions to either Iraq or Afghanistan.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard one newspaper article has suggested I think a thousand personnel potentially going into East Timor, our biggest military operation since we were last going in to East Timor seven years ago. Was that an accurate assessment?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look I'm not going to respond to newspaper speculation. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard Rick Farley died overnight.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh did he, I'm sorry to hear that, I extend my sympathy to his family. I knew that he'd been ill for a long time. He played a very significant role in relation to indigenous issues and also of course was for a long time the Director of the National Farmers Federation. I'm very sorry to hear that.
Thank you.
[ends]