PRIME MINISTER

17 November 2013

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MP PRESS CONFERENCE, COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
Subjects: People smuggling cooperation with Sri Lanka; CHOGM; Productivity Commission Inquiry to focus on more flexible, affordable and accessible child care; GrainCorp. E&OE. PRIME MINISTER: Its terrific to be here in Colombo. Its good to be here with senior members of the Sri Lankan Navy, particularly the Admiral commanding the Navy on this day when I officially announce that Australia is gifting two Bay Class patrol boats to the Sri Lankan Navy to assist with our mutual efforts to combat people smuggling in the Indian Ocean. People smuggling is a curse. It is a curse, it is an evil trade. It offers to people the promise of a better life, and yet so many people die because the promises of the people smugglers are vain promises. No-one arriving illegally by boat in Australia will ever be settled in Australia. This is why the promises that the people smugglers offer are promises of death, not life. It's important that Sri Lanka and Australia continue our excellent cooperation at sea. It is important that Sri Lanka has an enhanced search and rescue capacity, an enhanced interdiction capacity and that's what these two Bay Class patrol boats will offer the Sri Lankan Navy. These vessels have seen about 10 years of service with the Australian customs. They are being brought back to full operational capability and they should be here with the Sri Lankan Navy by the middle of next year and that will be a very important addition to the capacity of the Sri Lankan Navy. Today is the last day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting here in Colombo. I congratulate President Rajapaksa for the way this meeting has gone, and I welcome the opportunity that Sri Lanka has had to showcase itself to the world. As I said at the opening of the conference a couple of days ago, Sri Lanka has come through many troubles, but today there is more freedom and more prosperity.
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I had the opportunity to meet privately with the President for some time yesterday evening. I was able to ask him about the progress of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Obviously there is more to be done, but much progress has been made, and the fact that Sri Lanka is prepared to showcase itself in this way to the wider Commonwealth, a Commonwealth of values, a Commonwealth of ideals, a Commonwealth of aspirations for justice and a better life for all, shows the goodwill and the good intentions of the Sri Lankan Government and the Sri Lankan people. So, I'm here as a friend. I'm here as the representative of a country which wants to do the right thing by all of the people of Sri Lanka. Australia wants to be good mates with our friends and regional neighbours. That's what we always try to be and I'm pleased that here on this dock today I'm able to extend Australia's hand of friendship to Sri Lanka in this very practical way. Before we take questions, I might invite the Admiral to say anything if you feel like it, Sir. VICE ADMIRAL JAYANATH COLOMBAGE: Yes. Honourable Prime Minister, it's a great honour for Sri Lanka and especially to the Sri Lankan Navy, for your graceful presence here and that goes to show how much you appreciate the contribution that we make in preventing this irregular migration by sea. I believe Sri Lanka as a Government and the Sri Lankan Navy as an arm of the Government has taken this issue very seriously and we want to act very responsibly, in a very responsible manner because we know that these are very inhumane journeys and people are putting their lives at risk and many are perishing at sea. We are really grateful to the Government of Australia for coming forward to help us in maintaining our surveillance at sea so that the two boats that you just now promised, that will be delivered to us, will be really put into great use in patrolling the oceans basically to maintain the freedom of the Indian Ocean from any form of maritime crime, which is essential for the livelihood of the life of the whole world. We believe that the Indian Ocean is an interstate kind of ocean right now because it is linking the east and the west, so we will be able to put these boats into good use. I really appreciate the commitment and the cooperation shown by the Australian Government and the Australian High Commission in Colombo in particular, who is doing all the coordination work. We have an excellent working relationship and we have a joint working group which is really working, and I'm so honoured by your honourable presence and this very rare opportunity for the Sri Lankan Navy and on behalf of the Captain of the Sri Lankan Navy ship Sayura that you were on board a little while ago. So, I extend you all the very best wishes from the Navy and the Government of Sri Lanka, to serve your country in a more productive manner, and I hope the cooperation between our two countries will be further strengthened by your presence here on board today, and your generosity, and I am sure that we will be partners at sea. So, thank you, Honourable Prime Minister, it's a great honour for me and the whole country. Thank you very much.

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QUESTION: Prime Minister, how much is this costing and does it come out of the foreign aid budget? And, if I may, were giving military hardware to a country that has, according to the United Nations, unresolved questions over war crimes, how do you explain that to the Australian people? PRIME MINISTER: These vessels are being made available to the Sri Lankan Navy for humanitarian purposes, for search and rescue purposes. As all of you know, over the last few years, since the former government reversed the policies which had stopped the boats, there have been about 4,000 illegal arrivals by boat from Sri Lanka. We don't know how many people have drowned on the attempt, but we estimate that it's overall, many, many hundreds, if not thousands. So, these vessels are going to the Sri Lankan Navy for humanitarian purposes, for the safety of life at sea. QUESTION: [Inaudible] the money in the Budget? PRIME MINISTER: We estimate that there is about $2 million involved, in putting these vessels into tip-top condition and making them available to the Sri Lankan Navy. QUESTION: What does Australia get in return? PRIME MINISTER: What we get from Sri Lanka in return is the closest possible cooperation in preventing the evil trade of people smuggling. The cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka is close. It's constructive. There have been dozens of interceptions at sea and interdictions on land of people smuggling operations because of the close cooperation between Australia and Sri Lankan authorities. What we want to do is enhance the capacity of the Sri Lankan Navy to preserve life at sea and to close down this evil trade. QUESTION: Mr Abbott, what are the conditions under which these boats can be used, I mean can they fire upon asylum seeker boats? Have you given some operational instructions to go with them? PRIME MINISTER: We are very confident that the cooperation that exists between Australia and Sri Lanka is such that there is a memorandum of understanding, the boats will be gifted to Sri Lanka under the memorandum of understanding, and the memorandum of understanding deals with the safety of life at sea and the cooperation between our two countries to close down the evil trade of people smuggling. QUESTION: Are there any targets for further reducing the flow of boats and secondly, can I also ask, is the funding coming from the foreign aid budget?

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PRIME MINISTER: The money involved here is quite small and as you know we give, in the order of $40 million a year to Sri Lanka for aid purposes. Later on today I'll be talking to people about the results of humanitarian assistance from Australia to Sri Lanka and in particular a very important housing project which has done so much to help people who have been displaced by the war in the north. So, this is an important part of our cooperation with Sri Lanka. Our cooperation with Sri Lanka is designed to improve the life of Sri Lankan people, to improve the capacity of Sri Lanka and Australia to cooperate together and, over time, to ensure that the very best ideals of life are realised here in Sri Lanka as much as in Australia itself. QUESTION: So, is that money coming from foreign aid budget? PRIME MINISTER: The boats are being provided to Sri Lanka, they are going to be provided in tip-top condition. The money involved is a couple of million dollars. QUESTION: Why don't you answer that question about whether it's coming out of the foreign aid budget? PRIME MINISTER: I assume that it is coming out of the foreign aid budget, and the fact of the matter is these boats will be provided in tip-top condition to the Sri Lankan Navy to enhance the Sri Lankan Navy's capacity to save life at sea and to cooperate with Australia in closing down this evil trade of people smuggling. QUESTION: Four Sri Lankan sailors have been arrested on allegations of being involved in people smuggling. Can you trust that cooperation from the Navy? PRIME MINISTER: The fact that naval personnel have been arrested for alleged improper behaviour in this area is a sign of the absolute determination of the Sri Lankan Government and people to close down this evil trade. So, while I regret the fact that at least on the face of it there appears to have been some improper behaviour, the fact that Sri Lanka is cracking down hard on this gives me great confidence that there will be even better outcomes in the future. QUESTION: Prime Minister, did the Sri Lankan Government demand these boats or was it Australia's idea to provide them? PRIME MINISTER: It was our idea to provide them. As you probably know, we are upgrading our customs fleet from the Bay Class to the Cape Class. The Cape Class is an even more capable vessel than the Bay Class. The Cape Class is in some respects an even more capable vessel than the Armidale Class which the Australian Navy is operating in the seas to our north. It was my idea that the retiring Bay Class vessels should be made available to our friends and allies to enhance their capacity to crackdown on this evil trade. I mean, let's be
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absolutely crystal clear - this is about saving life at sea. There are few more important humanitarian issues in our neighbourhood right now than stopping the flow of boats which, in Australia's case, has been associated with more than a thousand deaths at sea. QUESTION: Good morning, Sir. Your Excellency do you think it is justifiable by some of the nations in the international community, theyre only harping on Sri Lankas investigation of alleged human rights violation, really on the last phase of the war, forgetting the 30-year long war and the atrocities done by the [inaudible]. They are only focusing on the last phase of the war. Why is that? Why is Sri Lankan being cornered in this manner without looking at the 30-year prolonged war we have had in this country, and so many atrocities [inaudible] a lot of destruction was done, but international communities are not paying any attention to that but only harping on an investigation during the last phase of the war. Do you think it is justifiable to the people of this nation? PRIME MINISTER: That's a fascinating point you've put to me, Sir. Look, I'm not going to go into the whys and the wherefores of what motivates different people, save to say this - there would not be a Commonwealth leader who does not want the best for Sri Lanka. Every Commonwealth leader, whether it be Stephen Harper or David Cameron, or John Key, or Mr Singh of India, everyone wants the best for Sri Lanka. That's what we all want. We appreciate, all of us, that Sri Lanka has come through a terrible war. We appreciate that much progress has been made. We appreciate that there is more progress to be made in the months and years ahead, and this is why I was so pleased to hear from President Rajapaksa last night. His take on how the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission is going, how the 290-odd recommendations are being implemented, how the judicial investigation of disappearances is going, and we all want to see the best possible outcomes and that unites every Commonwealth leader. QUESTION: The human rights concerns that have been raised, how can you be sure there are no Sri Lankans who don't have a genuine claim to seek asylum in Australia? PRIME MINISTER: Everyone who comes to Australia will be dealt with appropriately, either offshore, in the case of people who are coming now. There are people who are already onshore, as you know, from the former government, and they are being assessed as they should be. I'm not saying that no-one who comes to Australia is ever going to be found to be a refugee. Of course I'm not saying that. What I am saying about Sri Lanka is that a great deal of progress has been made. There is obviously more progress to be made and that's why the constructive engagement of people from the Commonwealth here in Colombo is very important. QUESTION: Do you agree with David Cameron that there needs to be an independent investigation into these war crimes allegations or do you agree with President Rajapaksa that no such investigation needs to be undertaken? PRIME MINISTER: There are investigations ongoing at the moment in Sri Lanka. There is a judicial inquiry into disappearances, and there is ongoing work under the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission. So, there are inquiries going on. The scope of them may well be extended as time goes by. But the important thing is to work constructively with Sri Lanka to try to ensure that all of the people of Sri Lanka have the best possible future and that's what the Australian Government intends to do.
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QUESTION: Do you think David Cameron's tone is too aggressive or strident then? PRIME MINISTER: I'm not going to offer observations about my colleagues suffice to say that everyone wants the very best for Sri Lanka, whether it's Stephen Harper in Canada, whether it's David Cameron in the United Kingdom, whether it's Prime Minister Singh of India, myself, we all want the best possible outcome for the people of Sri Lanka. This is a Commonwealth of values. This is a Commonwealth of ideals. You would expect a Commonwealth of ideals to want the best possible outcomes for the people of Sri Lanka, who have suffered so much and who now have the opportunity to build a better future. I think this country has an abundant capacity to be one of the jewels of Asia, and let's help them realise that great destiny. QUESTION: The Productivity Commission into child care Prime Minister, what are you hoping to achieve and what do you hope it leads to? PRIME MINISTER: This is a very important commitment that we made to the Australian people prior to the election. The Productivity Commission has done magnificent work on a whole range of subjects. The National Disability Insurance Scheme, paid parental leave, aged care, all have very much benefitted from the attention of the Productivity Commission. We need a child care system which acknowledges the needs of the modern Australian family and the needs of the contemporary Australian workforce. We have a 24/7 workforce. We have different and varying family structures today than we did a generation or so back. We think it is important, given that there hasn't been a serious look at the childcare system for two decades, that we have this serious look, see how we can improve it, see what we can do with our childcare system to enhance participation, to boost productivity and there is no better body to look at it than the Productivity Commission. QUESTION: Prime Minister, just on the sale of GrainCorp, is that entirely up to the Treasurer or will it go through Cabinet? PRIME MINISTER: It is entirely a matter for the Treasurer. I'm confident that the Treasurer is giving this the attention that it deserves. I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that Australia is open for business, we are under new management, we appreciate the importance of foreign investment to our economy. I'm here in Sri Lanka, they appreciate the importance of foreign investment to their economy. We have a number of significant Australian businesses, Iluka mining, Crown Casinos, that are looking to make significant investments here in Sri Lanka. I know the Sri Lankan Government is very happy to have those investments. We are happy very happy - to have foreign investment in Australia. It does have to be the right investment, not the wrong investment. It does have to accord with our overall national interests and there is no better way of ensuring that that's the case than the foreign investment review board process with the final decision to be made by the Treasurer. Thank you so much. [ends]
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