U.S. – Australia Relations

[Prime Minister Howard] Doorstop Interview, Blair House, Washington

Washington, D.C. — 14 May 2006

Interview Transcript
14 May 2006

Subject: Discussions while in Washington; discussions with Vice President Richard B. Cheney; nuclear waste; uranium; East Timor; childcare; Rick Farley

PRIME MINISTER

Well I think the important thing is, about this visit, is the wide range of extensive discussions starting on Monday, that I'll have first of all with the new Chairman of the Fed and then with all the senior members of the administration-and they will be the most extensive I think I've had with the administration in all of the visits I've paid. And they'll be with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the special trade representative and his successor, and I'll also have a formal meeting with the Cabinet after my discussion with President Bush. So it will be an unparalleled opportunity to not only touch on issues such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but also all the other aspects of the bilateral relationship.

JOURNALIST

Is there anything of substance to report from your lunch tody with Vice President Cheney?

PRIME MINISTER

Oh no, we had really a more of a general discussion about...some discussion about US domestic politics, and also we did have some discussion about Iraq, and we all agreed that the formation of a new government of national unity in that country would be very important and very positive, and we're both...all of us of the view that the new nominee for the Prime Ministership of the country is a very positive thing. He's a person of great strength and experience, and the formation of a government of national unity will be of great benefit.

JOURNALIST

Did the energy issue come up Mr Howard?

PRIME MINISTER

No it didn't, I think it's a bit early to be talking in detail about those things. They will come up in the formal discussions.

JOURNALIST

Is that an important...will that be an important element of your discussions over the next couple of days?

PRIME MINISTER

Well it will be one of a number of things. We of course have had some discussions on earlier visits about supplying LNG to the United States, but naturally they are things that will be the subject of commercial negotiations.

JOURNALIST

Prime Minister in your discussion of domestic politics did the impact of petrol prices come up in terms of....

PRIME MINISTER

Oh not specifically, no.

JOURNALIST

Mr Howard on the nuclear issue, there's been a bit written about it in the last couple of days, is it a concern of yours that Australia maybe asked to take nuclear waste back from countries we export uranium to?

PRIME MINISTER

Oh I think everybody's just running ahead of themselves on this issue. There's been some talk about certain proposals-I'll be interested to learn a little more about it, I have a interest in it, Australia has an interest in it-but we're not concerned about anything, we haven't been asked to do anything and I think we just have to allow any proposals to emerge, and we'll respond accordingly.

JOURNALIST

Nevertheless Prime Minister, could you contemplate or should Australia contemplate a time when we would be asked, if you like, to take the waste of other countries-that is perhaps uranium provided by Australia? That is certainly something that George...

PRIME MINISTER

Look I don't really intend Steve to speculate about a totally hypothetical proposition.

JOURNALIST

Mr Howard on a domestic issue, Jackie Kelly wants to meet you to talk about childcare. She says Labor is taking that issue more seriously than her own government. Does she have a point?

PRIME MINISTER

I think the childcare policies of the Government are far superior to Labor's, but I'm always happy to talk to my colleagues.

JOURNALIST

Prime Minister anything that you can do to update us on East Timor, any troop movements, ship movements?

PRIME MINISTER

No there's nothing I can add to what I said yesterday. We are in a position to assist if we are asked. Naturally we will only do something if we are asked. But we have put ourselves in a position to respond if that request does come.

JOURNALIST

If the request though is for troops, they will get troops?

PRIME MINISTER

We will respond to any request that is made.

JOURNALIST

But if you were the nominator...sorry.

PRIME MINISTER

No look... I'm not, sorry... is this on the same subject?

JOURNALIST

This is a follow up question.

PRIME MINISTER

Yes. Oh look I'm not going to hypothesise about the composition of any response we might provide, okay.

JOURNALIST

Prime Minister, Prime Minister Alkatiri has threatened to resign, what's your comment on that?

PRIME MINISTER

Well that's a matter for the domestic political process in East Timor. We must respect the fact that East Timor is an independent country and we will only do something there if we are asked.

JOURNALIST

Mr Howard Mr Ramos-Horta said yesterday that he hadn't been aware that the ships were being positioned. Can you explain that confusion?

PRIME MINISTER

Well naturally what happens in relation to Australian military assets is a matter for Australia. We wouldn't normally tell other countries what we're doing with our military assets, anymore than they would tell us what they're doing with theirs. So there's nothing to explain and there's no confusion.

JOURNALIST

(inaudible) and that the East Timorese government...

PRIME MINISTER

We maintain regular contact with all governments on matters that are relevant to matters of bilateral interest.

JOURNALIST

We were talking about troops and troop numbers in Iraq. How much will the so- called arch of instability and issues in the Solomons, East Timor and Fiji figure in your discussions and your considerations?

PRIME MINISTER

Well the capacity of our military as such that if we are required to do something in relation to East Timor, that will not affect our contributions to either Iraq or Afghanistan.

JOURNALIST

Mr Howard one newspaper article has suggested I think a thousand personnel potentially going into East Timor, our biggest military operation since we were last going in to East Timor seven years ago. Was that an accurate assessment?

PRIME MINISTER

Oh look I'm not going to respond to newspaper speculation. Thank you.

JOURNALIST

Mr Howard Rick Farley died overnight.

PRIME MINISTER

Oh did he, I'm sorry to hear that, I extend my sympathy to his family. I knew that he'd been ill for a long time. He played a very significant role in relation to indigenous issues and also of course was for a long time the Director of the National Farmers Federation. I'm very sorry to hear that.

Thank you.

[ends]

Original document from www.pm.gov.au.

Last update Monday, 19 November 2007