JOURNALIST:
You've got quite a task ahead of you today Prime Minister on top of the Julian Moti affair, you've got Manasseh Sogavare questioning the future of RAMSI, you've got Michael Somare saying he is insulted over the travel ban to Australia and he's described us as having an arrogant attitude, treating the Pacific Islands with contempt. How are you going to fix this?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it will work out alright.
JOURNALIST:
Why are you so confident, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well because some of the claims that have been made are just right over the top. I mean, it's not arrogant to want Australia's money to be spent wisely. There's nothing arrogant about that, it's just good housekeeping.
JOURNALIST:
What message will you be taking to the leaders today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I'll be taking a message of continuing support for RAMSI. You heard the Prime Minister of Fiji say this morning that the key to the future is economic growth and he's absolutely right because without growth, poverty will never be put behind these people and RAMSI is about good governance and economic growth. And we'll continue to support RAMSI whilst it has those goals, that's the whole basis of our approach. It's not...we don't want to bully or push anybody around. People who step back and know how Australia behaves know that's not true. I mean, it's almost laughable to suggest that we're behaving like a bully. We've put about $800 million into the Solomon Islands in different ways. That's hardly the behaviour of other than a good friend. I mean, it was...the translation into English of the Pidgin was helping a friend, of the operation in the Solomon Islands and that remains our goal. We regard the people of the Solomon Islands as our friends and we regard the people of Papua New Guinea as our friends.
JOURNALIST:
How do you have constructive talks today given that the words exchanged beforehand have been so vitriolic?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven't used any vitriolic words.
JOURNALIST:
But there have been from the other side.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh well I've been in politics a long time. People often say vitriolic things and you just let them go over your shoulder and focus on the substance and the substance of this debate is that we support RAMSI, we want good governance and economic growth to be central to RAMSI; we, of course, have had nothing whatever to do with orchestrating the thing in Honiara. I mean that's, that really is laughable.
JOURNALIST:
Why did you ban Sir Michael Somare and his ministers from travelling to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we thought given the concern that arose out of Mr Moti's flight from Papua New Guinea, that that for the time being was an appropriate response.
JOURNALIST:
Isn't that odd though given that you said politics should not mix with police, and they are quite distinct areas?
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry?
JOURNALIST:
I mean yesterday you said that what the police were doing is completely independent of the Government, why then...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, completely independent of the Australian Government.
JOURNALIST:
Yeah, but you then slapped on sanctions.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am sorry.
JOURNALIST:
Well, you put a ban on the ministerial relationship.
PRIME MINISTER:
No but they are two completely different issues.
JOURNALIST:
Well they are clearly inter-related ...
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I was talking about the raid on the Prime Minister's office in Honiara, I was making the point that that had nothing to do with orchestration by Australia, that's my point.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister will you be bringing any new initiatives to today's meeting?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we'll just wait and see.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, were you disappointed with the speech of Sir Michael Somare, does that surprise you some of those comments?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Would it not be a sign of good faith Prime Minister for Australia to show a more flexible approach on labour mobility, that's one of the key areas that Pacific nations are seeking, greater flexibility from Australia and New Zealand?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have a position on that, I'll listen to what they've got to say.
JOURNALIST:
Are we prepared to show more flexibility?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have a view on that and it's not going to change.
JOURNALIST:
It is embarrassing that New Zealand is moving...
PRIME MINISTER:
No that doesn't embarrass me at all. I see what we are doing on the Australian Technical College and what New Zealand is doing on labour mobility, and I've discussed this with the New Zealand Prime Minister, I see those two things as quite complementary.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister overnight has basically backed your position on Iraq, that the international community should not cut and run, does that fly in the face of what Labor's argument is?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well of course it does, and here is a man, he's a Deputy Prime Minister in the democratically elected government of Iraq, a government formed because nine million people were prepared to defy bullets and threats of death to participate, and he's speaking the truth and people should listen to him. And he's absolutely right, because if the world abandons Iraq now, it will have no hope of democracy, there will be a lot more strife, a lot more deaths, a lot more blood-shed and the terrorists will be given an enormous propaganda victory, both in the Middle-East and throughout the world including in our own region.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister do you think you can resolve this RAMSI issue heading into the retreat?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I don't think there is anything more I can say on that, I mean there is really nothing more to say. I think we've talked, I think we've talked it death.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, the Solomon's Prime Minister is said to have a five-point plan on RAMSI have you considered that plan and what do you think of it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he hasn't presented it to me, how can I have considered it if he hasn't presented it to me?
JOURNALIST:
He wants at least Australian influence over...
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I am not going to, look I am going to a meeting shortly, one more question, un-related to this issue otherwise we've had enough and we'll talk later.
JOURNALIST:
On drought assistance, Prime Minister, Cabinet is considering further drought assistance, what assistance can you provide to farmers?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that is something that the acting Prime Minister can deal with, Cabinet is going to meet. I've indicated that we are prepared to provide more assistance, we are prepared to relax some of the criteria, and that was evident in the decision that I announced last week, and there are a few other matters that I hinted at on Sunday that are going to be on the agenda. But it's a very severe drought, but I am very confident that my colleagues in my absence can make the right decisions and they will be announced by Mr Vaile and Mr McGauran. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Lastly, Prime Minister just one question. Do you think it is a bit rich of these Pacific island nations, particularly Michael Somare, when we give them so much money in aid, to be speaking to us like this?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I am not going to start telling people what language they should use. I just simply make the point that the Australian people expect me to see that their money is spent wisely and I've always tried to do that, and I will go on doing that. Because that's my first responsibility, we want to help the communities of the Pacific because we like them, they are part of our future. But we do, not unreasonably, ask that our money be spent wisely. Thank you.
[ends]