TRANSCRIPT
of
THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
Treasurer

Doorstop
Canberra
Tuesday, 14 May 2002
8.30am

SUBJECTS: Budget; Border Protection

TREASURER:

Good morning.

JOURNALIST:

Looking forward to another Budget?

TREASURER:

Well, tonight’s Budget will be focused very squarely on making Australia safer.

We have not yet had eight months since the terrible events of September the

11^th. They told us that no country is immune, that no country is

so safe that it can not be a target. It led to our involvement in the war against

terror in Afghanistan. We still have troops in the field in Afghanistan, we

have troops in East Timor and we have sat down over the last eight months and

we have looked at the measures which are required to keep Australia safe and

they will be the focus of tonight’s Budget, not just safe in a security sense

but safe in an economic sense as well.

JOURNALIST:

Why should pensioners and also patients pay for the War on Terrorism?

TREASURER:

Well, keeping Australia safe something that we do for all Australians. All

Australians want to see a safe society. They want to know that their Government

is taking the measures which are required to guard against the kind of incidents

we saw on September the 11^th. I think Australians support the Government’s

commitment to troops in Afghanistan, our troops in East Timor, and I welcome

the fact that New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr, has given the Government his

full support, and so at least we know that State Labor supports the Government

in relation to this Budget even if Federal Labor does not.

JOURNALIST:

Treasurer, why is the Liberal Party selling access to media owners for three

and a half thousand dollars?

TREASURER:

Well, I will not be commenting on any media speculation in relation to that.

But I am sure that you will see all of the measures that are put in place for

the Australian people in tonight’s Budget when it is handed down.

JOURNALIST:

Is the Government pinching Labor’s coastguard plan with its Border Protection

policy it will be unveiling?

TREASURER:

No. The Government does have a very strong border protection policy, as you

know, and unfortunately the Labor Party opposed it, then they supported it,

then they opposed it. Now, we do not know whether they will turn around tonight

and support it again but the good thing is that Bob Carr, the New South Wales

Premier, has supported this this morning, and that is a lesson to McMullan and

Crean. While they have been out there attacking the Government, trying to make

cheap, irresponsible points, it took a real Labor leader, like Bob Carr, to

step up…

JOURNALIST:

But he is also…

TREASURER:

…and to support the Government on border protection.

JOURNALIST:

…he’s also asked you to give more money to people for disability services?

TREASURER:

Well, as I said, all our measures will be revealed tonight. But Bob Carr was

on the TV this morning saying he supports the Government on border protection.

It took a real Labor leader to step up to the plate because Crean and McMullan

could not do it. Now, all we have heard from them is cheap, opportunistic attacks,

but the Government does not worry about those. We get on with the job and we

are going to make Australia safe.

Thanks.