Subjects: The death of an Australian peace keeper serving in East Timor; political change in Indonesia; Unemployment rate and jobs growth; Joe DeBruyn’s comments on proposed changes to the Sex Discrimination Act; Australia and New Zealand dual citizenship proposal
E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
PRIME MINISTER:
Could I just start by saying how very saddened I was to learn of the accidental death of Corporal Stewart Jones in East Timor. And I want to extend on behalf of the Government and the people of Australia my sympathy to his mother and father, to his brother who is also a serving member of the Australian Defence Force. It was a sad and tragic accidental death. It is a reminder to all Australians that this is a dangerous operation. We’ve had that driven home not only by this sad occurrence but also by the exchanges involving the death of a New Zealand solider a few weeks ago and also the exchanges between the Australian forces and the militia which have resulted in the deaths of some of the militia. It is still a very dangerous operation and I know all Australians will be very sorry to have learnt of Corporal Jones’ death.
JOURNALIST:
Which state was he from?
PRIME MINISTER:
He was from Victoria and both his parents live in Victoria. His brother is stationed in Townsville with a unit of the Australian Defence Force.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister do you expect things to improve in East Timor now that Megawati Sukarnoputri has taken over?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don’t want to make any, or imply anything in relation to the changed political arrangements in Jakarta. But I don’t think there’s going to be any immediate change. I don’t want to over dramatise it but I want the Australian public to understand that it still remains a dangerous operation. We are part of a peacekeeping force. There are still elements of the militia who don’t seem to have much regard for human life and that still represents a significant danger to the men and women of the ADF who are serving there under United Nations’ command. There’s been a tendency I guess after the initially very successful INTERFET operation to assume that the danger has disappeared. Whenever you have people on active service there’s danger.
JOURNALIST:
How can you read the situation though with President Wahid handing day to day duties to Megawati?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is a matter for the Indonesian Government. I don’t want to sit in the role of a commentator. I support very strongly the efforts of both the President and Vice President to promote further the return of democracy to Indonesia, I think it’s a wonderful development. And President Wahid still represents a way forward for Indonesia because he’s a tolerant liberal democrat and he believes in openness and he believes in more transparent Indonesian society. He recognises the economic challenges ahead of his country and he’s prepared to make changes that are necessary.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister are you expecting him to come to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he said that he’s coming. I mean the details have not been finalised. I think we’ll just leave it at that. I had a very friendly meeting with him in Tokyo recently and the invitation stands. He’s very welcome to come to this country at any time of his choosing.
PRIME MINISTER:
Is Megawati Sukarnoputri capable?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it’s not what I think, and I’m sure she’s a very capable person, it’s what the Indonesian people think. She’s the Vice President, she leads the largest party in the Assembly. But…
JOURNALIST:
But how [inaudible] in dealing with the country?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that is a matter for the judgement of the Indonesian people and the Indonesian Assembly. It’s not for my judgement. I have no doubt that she has great ability. But the question of what she does and how she does it is ultimately a matter for the President of Indonesia, for the National Assembly and for her as Vice President of that country.
JOURNALIST:
Malaysia’s Justice Minister has criticised you for commenting on the Anwar case that he’s handling. How do you respond to those criticisms that you should mind your own business?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I made some remarks. I made those remarks very carefully and very deliberately and I don’t have any further remarks to make at this time.
JOURNALIST:
Have you spoken directly to anyone in authority in Malaysia about the handling of the case?
PRIME MINISTER:
I indicated when I was interviewed by your network yesterday that the views I expressed on that programme yesterday where of a piece with the views I expressed to Doctor Mahathir when I saw him two years ago in Kuala Lumpur at an APEC meeting during our private discussion. But I made some remarks. I don’t have anything to add to those remarks at this time.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] withdraw the High Commission or take any other sort of diplomatic action?
PRIME MINISTER:
Withdraw the High Commissioner? No.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister Al Gore has weighed in behind you. He’s described the trial as a mockery of justice. Do those comments hearten you?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look I made comments I didn’t make those comments because I thought Al Gore might agree with me or disagree with me. I made those comments deliberately as Prime Minister of Australia. If other people agree with me that’s fine, if they don’t well that’s fine too. I don’t need the approval or disapproval of the Vice President of the United States to make considered remarks about something that I thought it was appropriate as Prime Minister of Australia to make considered remarks about.
JOURNALIST:
Your early comments, you still stand by them?
PRIME MINISTER:
The comments I made yesterday? Of course I do.
JOURNALIST:
Does this further sour our relationship with Malaysia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I’m Prime Minister not a political commentator.
JOURNALIST:
Are you concerned about the performance of the Steyr rifle?
PRIME MINISTER:
Of the…
JOURNALIST:
The Steyr rifle. It’s the rifle involved in the…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think to me, without the benefit of an Army inquiry, to give an answer to that question is irresponsible.
JOURNALIST:
You must be pleased with the employment figures.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am delighted with the employment figures. They are magnificent. I mean this is the lowest level of unemployment for more than ten years at 6.3%. We have now created 809,000 new jobs since coming to office. It’s an astonishingly good figure, 75,000 new jobs for a month. And I understand that the participation rate actually rose during the month of July. Now with all of the inevitable cautions you have about one month figure, the news is undeniably good. Our policies have driven down unemployment and they will continue to drive down unemployment. And we could drive unemployment down further if the Senate would allow us to further free Australia’s industrial relations system. If we could have more flexibility for small business in relation to things like unfair dismissal laws, you would have an even lower unemployment rate in this country.
JOURNALIST:
Could the possible down side might be a further increase on interest rates?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don’t speculate about future movements in interest rates. I don’t speculate at all. I think everybody should feel very pleased that we have got 809,000 more Australians in work in the last four and a half years. Now this is terrifically good news, it’s good for families, it’s what economic management is all about, getting more Australians in work and making Australians feel more optimistic about their job prospects. And it’s very broadly based. Don’t anybody run away with the idea this is just Olympics driven in Sydney. There’s been strong growth in employment around the country and I am really delighted for those people who now have jobs. That’s the thing that I am delighted about.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] the ALP, you are backed up by union official Mr DeBruyn and I understand he’s at loggerheads with Kim Beazley over that. What do you say about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I was very interested to hear Joe DeBruyn’s comments this morning. Now Joe DeBruyn is a very respected member of the Australian Labor Party. He runs the largest union in Australia, has the largest union of affiliate of the Australian Labor Party. Now the question of whether there’s a conscience vote inside the Labor Party is a matter for the Labor Party. I wouldn’t presume to give any advice to the Labor Party about how it conducts its internal affairs, that would be quite inappropriate. But I do know this. When you do hear a man of Joe DeBruyn’s substance and respect and repute within the Labor movement. I mean he is a senior trade union leader, expressing the views that he did this morning - it gives the lie to the argument that the government’s stance is some kind of partisan political ploy. If it were, Joe DeBruyn wouldn’t be out there supporting what the government is on about.
JOURNALIST:
Has you or anyone in your office ever spoken to Mr DeBruyn about the IVF issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven’t spoken to him about it, I speak to Mr DeBruyn in his capacity as a member of the supermarket to Asia council, but I personally have had no discussion with Mr Debruyn about it. I have no idea whether anybody else has, but would that matter?
JOURNALIST:
Well it would just be interesting to know what might have been…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it would be interesting to know. Well a lot of things would be interesting to know. Look, Mr DeBruyn is a member of the Australian Labor Party and I can tell you that I’ve had no discussion with Mr DeBruyn about this issue at all, none whatsoever.
JOURNALIST:
What are the prospects of joint Australian New Zealand citizenship?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I rather agreed with the immigration this morning when he said it was interesting to suggestion that come from the finance minister of New Zealand, but look, we are open-minded and always but I don’t think it was all that seriously put, but if the New Zealand government wished to further pursue those things, then obviously we would respond. We are very close to New Zealand and we have a lot in common with them.
JOURNALIST:
Would you allow a conscience vote in the Liberal Party on IVF?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we made a government decision and everybody in the Cabinet was very supportive of it.
Thank you.
[ends]