Subjects: Cricket; Defence force; International relations
E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask you a question Prime Minister about cricket?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes you can ask me a question about cricket, is that all right?
JOURNALIST:
Is that Okay? I think everyone is interested here. What do you think about tomorrow’s selection. Should Shane Warne be vice captain?
PRIME MINISTER:
I will leave that to the Australian Cricket Board. My understanding is that the selectors choose the team and the board appoints the captain and vice captain. I am not going to buy in to that. That’s entirely a matter for the Board. One of the things I’ve got to do as a passionate cricket follower, but also as Prime Minister is to resist the temptation of giving a running commentary on cricket all the time, I don’t think that’s fair to those who have got to run cricket. I’ll react to outcomes but I can say how delighted I am about the finding in relation to Brett Lee. Obviously I think he’s a great bowler and I am absolutely delighted for him and for Australian cricket but as to things like vice captaincies I will leave that to the authorities.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think there should be a sort of, the whole role model thing, should that be imposed on people like Shane Warne?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, leave me out of that.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] education.
PRIME MINISTER:
Hard work, respect for other people, tolerance, being punctual and telling the truth. I wouldn’t have thought things were very different now are they? I think they’re fairly constant sorts of values and I was certainly encouraged at that this school to do those things and I still remember them and they’ve had quite an influence on me.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, has the government been briefed on the shooting of two Indonesian malitia men in…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well yes we have. I think it drives home to all of the Australian community that it is still a dangerous place for the men and women of the ADF who are there. We’ve had the tendency because of what’s happened in the early stages of the operation to assume there is no danger there. There remains a lot of danger. Our men and women are well trained and very well lead and they are well prepared for all developments, but whenever there’s death, it’s a reminder that it’s a dangerous operation and we must keep that in mind. We have got 1500 young men and women up there for probably another 18 months or two years who are doing a very important job for Australia and we shouldn’t lose sight of that.
JOURNALIST:
Does it worry you sir that the militia groups seem to be growing in strength now?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have remained concerned about the militias and we continue to encourage the Indonesians to do what they can to curb them. I know there’s a determination on the part of a lot of people in Indonesia to do that and we’d encourage them to keep doing it.
Thank you.
[ends]