PM Transcripts

02 TRANSCRIPT OF PRE-RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH NIREE CREED, CROSS
COUNTRY, 29 OCTOBER 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
CREED: For years Australia and other smaller traders on the
. world market have been complaining to GATT and anyone else
who'll listen about America's policy of subsidising its
farmers. Now, it seems, someone has listened. In Geneva
this week the United States suggested to GATT, the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, that all subsidies be eased
out. The American proposal is to end all international
agricultural export subsidies within five years and domestic
support within ten years. The Prime Minister, Mr Hawke,
told Cross Country he welcomed the proposal.
PM: Well, I think the main sector, Niree, that will benefit
will be our wheat growers. They have, it's calculated that
the, just the price discrimination element of the Export
Enhancement Program of the United States, probably cost our
wheat growers about $ 200 million in the year 87/ 88 and led
to a cut back in production of around six, well probably
altogether, the calculation is about one million tonne
production or six percent cut back. Tf you take our barley
growers too and you take the market they had in Saudi
Arabia, it's estimated that in, I think it's 85/ 86, had a
market of about $ 282 million. From there, that's cut back
now to about $ 16 million in 87/ 88. Now, they are two areas
where our agricultural producers will benefit and so they
should. They're the most efficient producers in the world.
CREED: Do you think the Europeans will agree to it? That's
the big stumbling block isn't it?
PM: Well the ball is now ver y much in their court isn't it?
I mean, we've been putting the arguments to the Americans
and to the Europeans and I think now, as a result of the
quite dramatic decision by the United States, the onus is
very, very much now on the Europeans. So we in the Cairns
Group have been trying to get this position established. I
think the Europeans will find it very difficult not to
respond positively.
ends