U.S. – Australia Relations

Transcript of the Prime Minister the Hon John Howard MP Television Interview with Steve Liebmann, the Today Show

Washington, D.C. — 12 July 1999

12 July 1999
(Broadcast 13 July 1999 in Australia)

Subjects: Meeting with President Clinton - trade issues; security arrangements; Care workers

LIEBMANN:

Mr Howard, good morning..well good afternoon to you.

PRIME MINISTER:

How are you Steve?

LIEBMANN:

Now Prime Minister, last Thursday you were calling the lamb decision hypocritical and appalling, and now it's just an odd difference of opinion. What happened to your anger?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well it's not an odd difference of opinion. I told the President both in a private discussion and also during our luncheon, our working luncheon, that this decision had caused more anger in Australia on trade than any other decision in the time that I'd been involved. So I don't know that there's been any alteration at all.

LIEBMANN:

How did the President react?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well he understood how upset we were. I mean look, we have to be realistic. He's taken a decision based on domestic political considerations and Australia has been hurt in the process. And he's aware of that. I made that very plain to him both publicly and privately. And it remains what I described it to him and that is a decision that has upset Australia on trade more than any other decision that the American...this or any other American administration has taken. But what I was at pains to say today was that there are other aspects of the relationship that oughtn't to be contaminated by this decision. Now that doesn't in any way diminish the concern and sense of frustration that we feel about the decision. We can't reverse the decision and I think anybody who suggests that we can is deluding themselves.

LIEBMANN:

So does the American President still support, in spite of the lamb decision, does he still support a more open trading system?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well he told me that he did and I was asked about this by the press afterwards and I said well, it's a question of reacting to outcomes. I mean he told me that he remained committed to achieving a more liberalised trading environment out of the World Trade Organisation. He said he would be coming to the APEC meeting in New Zealand in September, that he was attracted to the idea of a leaders' declaration supporting freer trade out of that meeting. He said all of these things. Now people will make their own judgements about that. I think my judgement is that I will see what happens. But I can only repeat what he said to me and what I said to him. In the end we are all judged by our behaviour and the outcomes we achieve rather than by the words we use and that applies to him as it does to me or indeed any other political leader.

LIEBMANN:

But I'm wondering whether we can read into that: yes he still supports a more open trading system unless it impacts on American producers.

PRIME MINISTER:

Well I think people in Australia would be entitled to read that into it. I mean there's no doubt that America has taken a decision on this issue which looks after Americans and has adverse consequences for Australians. Now of course they have.

PRIME MINISTER:

So Prime Minister, in the course of your discussions with the President you didn't perhaps feel inclined to remind him about our security relationship and the fact that he's got a couple of bases on Australian soil?

PRIME MINISTER:

No I didn't, and I don't believe I should. And the reason for that is that it's not in Australia's interest to do so. Some people in Australia have the quite erroneous idea that the security relationship between Australia and the United States is all one way in favour of the United States. The reason I'm not prepared to put the security relationship on the table is that that would hurt my country, that would hurt Australia. That's why I don't put it on the table. And people who argue that you should put the security relationship on the table in discussions with the Americans are really ignoring the national benefit to our country of the security relationship.

LIEBMANN:

Prime Minister, just finally, what about Steve Pratt and Peter Wallace? I know you discussed their predicament with the President. Is he going to do anything for them?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well I discussed their predicament with both the President and also with the Secretary of State. Now Madeline Albright, who I saw last night, I went into some detailed discussion with her. Both of them have undertaken to do what they can in discussions not only with the Yugoslavs but also with others to try and secure their release. Now I don't think either of them can wave a magic wand. In the end they will be released if President Milosovic of Yugoslavia can be persuaded to release them. I operate on the view that the more people you have working to achieve that the better but I don't think there's any magic wand that Clinton or Albright can wave around, and I don't think anybody should imagine that that is the case. I don't know precisely what combination of circumstances is going to trigger a change of heart on the part of the Yugoslav President. We remain hopeful. Our best on the ground diplomatic advice is that they will be released but it's an awkward situation. They are being held unfairly and wrongly but we've said all of that. We'll continue to raise it, we'll continue to mention it and talk about it to anybody who we think can have some influence.

LIEBMANN:

Okay. Prime Minister, I know you're rushing off to another engagement. Thank you for talking to us.

PRIME MINISTER:

Thank you.

[Ends]

Original document from www.pm.gov.au.

Last update: Friday, 14 December 2007 GMT+1000