TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER
THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
PRESS CONFERENCE
MELBOURNE
29 September 2001
PRIME MINISTER:
Ladies and Gentlemen I’ve called this news conference to report that last night President Bush rang me to discuss the American led response to the terrorist attack on the United States. We discussed the situation in general terms. He took the opportunity of thanking me very warmly for the expressions of sympathy and compassion which have not only been conveyed through the resolution of the Parliament but in the many memorial services and acts of public condolence which have occurred in Australia. He was very well informed on the reaction in this country to the terrible events of the 11th of September and he was very warm in his expressions of gratitude.
He said to me in the course of the conversation that the American led response would not be over and done with quickly. He made it very clear that it was going to take some time and certainly confirmed to me in the discussion the comments that he’d made publicly to the effect that people should not imagine that it was something that could be handed and dealt with very very quickly. He thanked me for the offer of Australian military assistance which I made when I was in Washington and subsequently repeated in the Parliament and elsewhere in Australia. And we agreed that at the highest level our military people should have further discussions about the nature of an Australian contribution with a view to a further announcements being made when appropriate.
I also took the opportunity of telling him that we had decided to act in consequence of the announcements that he made a few days ago regarding financial sanctions on terrorist and terrorist organisations. And he thanked me very warmly for the fact that Australia had responded so very very strongly.
It was a useful conversation because it brought me up to date with his general thinking and that of the Administration about the aftermath and the American response. It being a normal land line it was not possible to go into precise details but the general thrust was very clear as far as the response was concerned. It’s not something that’s going to happen in one single event but it’s something that will require a variety of responses over a period of time. He’s been careful to communicate that to the American people and it’s important that Australians understand that, and I know they do, that this response not only needs to be one that involves a number of countries, in fact as many countries as possible, each perhaps doing a variety of things.
As far as the military side of it is concerned, I just say again that we agreed that our military people, at the highest level would discuss the nature of an Australian contribution and as appropriate further announcements about that would be made as a consequence of those discussions at an appropriate time.
I thought it important that the call itself and the general nature of it be reported to the Australian people as soon as possible. It was a very good opportunity as I say to be brought up to date with his thinking and it was very evident from the nature of the conversation that he was of course very appreciative of both the emotional response within the Australian community and also the offers of assistance that were made in a variety of ways and not least the military offer of assistance shortly after the terrible events took place. Do you have any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Is the response a multilateral military one?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there obviously will be military action involved. That’s self evident. But I think the point that needs to be made is that any idea that it’s one single event that’s going to put an end to it, that’s mistaken. It’s self evident even without any discussion that the President or indeed anybody else, it’s self evident that what is required in relation to this matter is different from what, for example, was required in the circumstances of the Gulf War where you had an invasion by one country of another. That hasn’t happened here in the traditional military sense, it’s certainly happened in a terrorist sense but you do need a different response. And as the President was saying to me, and as he said to his fellow countrymen and women that it’s not something that you can just embrace in one single fell swoop.
JOURNALIST:
What is your reaction to reports of raids .…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I understand that there have been some activities within the normal course by Commonwealth and State bodies, I don’t want to go into the detail of it but they are the sorts of things that those agencies would do. There’s no specific connection but clearly in the ….
JOURNALIST:
What is your reaction though to the military training of middle eastern groups in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
What is my reaction? Well I would like to be satisfied that all of the reports are true before I give credence to them.
JOURNALIST:
Is there any evidence that these groups have any connection to Osama bin Laden?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, let me put it this way, that I’ve said before that we can’t assume that nothing can happen here but it’s also important to keep a sense of proportion. The potential vulnerability of Australia although like any other western county it’s there it’s perhaps not as high as others. But we don’t take anything for granted. I think I’ll just rest it on that basis.
JOURNALIST:
You wouldn’t be pleased though?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I’m not going to add to what I’ve previously said, you realise that with those sorts of things one has to be fairly careful.
JOURNALIST:
Given Australia could be a target, are you considering increased security arrangements?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well one of the things that should be said is that our aircraft security arrangements have always been quite tough in the past. Some people believe they’ve been tougher than some other countries. We will on Tuesday at the Cabinet meeting, we will look at any further measures that need to be taken, I’ve indicated before that we’re asking for more advice on different things that might be done and if there are some further things that need to be done we’ll naturally be ready to implement them because at a time like this you have to be willing to take all possible steps because we can’t assume that there isn’t a threat in this country.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister there is a report in today’s papers that you effectively killed off Ansett by blocking the Singapore Airlines recapitalisation plans for that airline, do you have a response?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I do, that’s a ridiculous report. I read it and at no stage did I and the Government block the Singapore Airlines recapitalisation. We always accepted that the only Government that really had a role in the Singapore Airlines recapitalisation was the New Zealand Government via the foreign investment application by Singapore Airlines to increase its stake in Air New Zealand. And Air New Zealand then with the additional resources to recapitalise Ansett. We never blocked that, that’s ridiculous, we’d never block that. We always indicated that if all things were equal the idea of an alliance between Qantas and Air New Zealand would be a good thing with Singapore Airlines teaming up with Ansett. But in the end we always recognised that ultimately it was a matter for the New Zealand Government and it had to be resolved in a commercial fashion. So I reject completely any suggestion that I or indeed the Government blocked the recapitalisation of Ansett.
JOURNALIST:
Any conflict between yourself and two of the ministers?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I’m astonished to read those suggestions too. Quite astonished.
JOURNALIST:
Going back to Mr Bush, did he want you to consider anything specific … or was it a general chat?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it was a bit more than that, in the sense that we’ve agreed that our two military groups should talk about the nature of an Australian contribution.
JOURNALIST:
Did he ask for that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it was understood, I indicated when I was in Washington we’d be willing to make it, and the whole basis of the discussion was that we would get engaged on the nature of that contribution.
JOURNALIST:
Are we talking here about General Cosgrove?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh no I’m not, look we’re not talking about any particular we’re not talking about any individuals. I mean what we agreed was our that at the highest level our military people would examine the nature of any possible Australian contribution and at an appropriate time in the future a further announcement would be made.
JOURNALIST:
Are you at all concerned about the HMAS Manoora and Tobruk being tied up with refugee matters in our northern waters…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we want to resolve that matter sensibly. I should make it clear that the people on the Manoora will be go to Nauru, they will not come to the Australian mainland or to Australian territory. But let us resolve that in a calm, sensible manner as long as people understand that we’re not altering our opinion, there is no change on our resolve and I’m sure in the end the people involved will be persuaded that the most sensible thing is to go to Nauru. We would like to do that in a calm manner, but in the end it has to be understood that we’re not going to change our position and nobody should encourage anybody to believe that we are because we are not.
JOURNALIST:
Could it be a problem that during this military response you could be in an election campaign?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don’t believe so. I don’t believe so. I mean obviously we will have an election campaign quite soon. That’s self evident, the Parliament’s term is up, we have to have an election quite soon. Everybody knows that. But there seems to be bipartisan support for Australian military involvement. If that were ultimately to be the case.
JOURNALIST:
Have you decided on a date?
PRIME MINISTER:
Of?
JOURNALIST:
Of the election?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Should CHOGM have been cancelled earlier and should there be compensation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Should it have been cancelled earlier? Well that’s a matter a question you should direct to the Secretary-General. He after all initiated the cancellation although it was clearly triggered in particular by Mr Blair’s announced intention to withdraw, I don’t think that would have, could have, to be fair to Mr Blair he’s in a difficult position, any country that, the leader of any country in the present situation, I mean I don’t know the potential for any British involvement other than just a broad understanding that there could be. And that’s obviously a matter that the British are discussing with the Americans. But I can understand why he made that decision.
JOURNALIST:
Would you consider compensation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I have said that we’ll look at things fairly and sensibly, I’m not going to give a broad guarantee, if people have particular propositions to put to us we’ll have a look at them. I’m not going to give an advance guarantee. But we do understand that this has been difficult for a lot of people in Brisbane, we’re sorry about that. We also of course hope to reinstate the meeting in Brisbane during the first part of next year. And if that happens then there’ll be an opportunity for people to gain from that. But I am sorry for what has occurred but it’s something completely beyond the control of the Commonwealth Government. We wanted the meeting to go ahead, we were ready and I’m very sorry it didn’t.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER:
I’m not going to talk about individual dates.
JOURNALIST:
The American Air Force has been instructed to shoot down any … planes, would you consider similar powers in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that is not an issue that’s come in front of us. There’s been no suggestion that that kind of thing is needed in Australia so therefore the issue has not been before us.
JOURNALIST:
Can you categorically confirm that the Australian Federal Police are investigating terrorist activities in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I don’t categorically confirm or deny things related to security. I just (inaudible) myself with the remarks I made a moment ago when I was asked that question. That it is a normal part of the operations of the agencies both state and federal from time to time to talk to people and any reports should be viewed against that background. But I’m not categorically confirming or denying what you’ve asked me to categorically confirm or deny.
JOURNALIST:
Given the way our military forces are tied up at the moment, what sort of contribution could we make?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don’t want to go into that. I’m sure that Australia can make an effective contribution but that’s something that we will discuss with the Americans.
JOURNALIST:
Has your discussion with Mr Bush changed Australia’s state of readiness, are we ready to go?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Australia’s always been in a position to make an effective contribution at short notice. But this is something, the nature of that contribution as I say is something that will be discussed between their military and ours and as appropriate there’ll be a further statement made. I don’t think I could put it any more clearly than that.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Bush has said Americans should expect casualties, can Australia expect casualties?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well whenever you get involved in any kind of conflict there’s always a danger of casualties. I don’t want to overstate the position, I mean as we speak now no Australian forces have been deployed. So I think it’s a little inappropriate perhaps to be talking about those sorts of things in a specific way other than to make the obvious point that whenever forces are deployed there is a risk of causalities. But as we speak now no forces have been deployed and I just therefore don’t want to get into talking specifically about that except to acknowledge the general point as I have and the Foreign Minister has that whenever you are involved in a conflict there’s always the danger that...
JOURNALIST:
When are military talks to be held?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the chairman, the CDF is in Washington at the present time so I imagine that while he’s there there’ll be discussions. In fact I’m sure there will be.
JOURNALIST:
Is it more likely we’ll provide intelligence services rather than troops?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, we have already a very extensive intelligence link with the United States. But I don’t want to speculate at this stage as to what we might provide. I really don’t, I don’t think that’s appropriate. There are discussions going on and at an appropriate time in the future a further announcement will be made.
JOURNALIST:
But we can expect new laws to be looked at in Cabinet next week?
PRIME MINISTER:
We will be looking at a number of things, the issue I mentioned a moment ago in relation to any need for any security measures. And also the possibility of new laws. I’m not saying we are going to change the law, we will look at that issue, that’s one of the things that I’ve ask the Attorney General to report on.
JOURNALIST:
Can you say which areas of the law you may be examining?
PRIME MINISTER:
All of those that are relevant. Thank you. Last question.
JOURNALIST:
Do you have any comment on (inaudible) …. surveillance operations?
PRIME MINISTER:
Any comment on what?
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) … surveillance operations…
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
JOURNALIST:
Who is going to win today?
PRIME MINISTER:
In the AFL? I would like to see Brisbane win. I’m not sure that they will. I would like see them win.
END
