JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
TREASURER:
Well you have got to bear in mind that it’s a decision of the Constitutional Court. It’s a split decision. It’s on a question of law in relation to one of the charges. Now the Indonesian Government itself has indicated that it wants to ensure that the Bali bombers are brought to justice and brought to trial. So it may well be that the Indonesian Government itself has the capacity with other charges or with other legal avenues to deal with this situation and we welcome their support in relation to that.
If Australia can be of any assistance, as we were in collecting, assisting with the collection of evidence for the original trial, we stand ready to do it. The Australian Government for the sake of 88 of our fellow Australians wants to see those responsible be brought to justice and punished. And if we can be of any assistance to the Indonesian Government in doing that we will do it.
JOURNALIST:
When you said they didn’t die because of the situation in Iraq, were you alluding directly to what you have called Labor Party’s cut and run policy?
TREASURER:
No…there are some people that argue that Australia became a terrorist target because of our engagement in Iraq. The point I make is this. That the attack by terrorists in Bali which killed 88 Australians was before there was any war in Iraq. Before there was any Australian engagement. Australia has been a terrorist target because of who we are, not because of what we have done, but because of who we are. And the proof of that is the Bali bombing.
JOURNALIST:
It is a very emotive issue I should think for all Australians but for those families of victims today who are waking up and reading this news. Is there any reassurance you can give to them?
TREASURER:
I think the heart of every Australian will go out to the families of those who died in Bali and I think every Australian would want to know the sake of justice for those 88 and for their families that everything that can be done should be done to bring to trial those responsible. Now this is a legal technicality on a split court we would not want to see substantial justice interrupted on such grounds and we welcome the fact that the Indonesian Government itself wants to ensure that these people come to trial.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) Has any particular assistance already been offered to the Indonesian Government or will you wait for some kind of (inaudible).
TREASURER:
Well, the Australian Government has been in touch with the Indonesian Government. We have indicated our concern for the families and for the dead themselves and the Indonesian Government agrees that the people responsible must be brought to justice. But you have got to understand this is a ruling by an Indonesian court on a constitutional question with a split bench. This is one of those legal technicalities and it’s a legal technicality not in our country but in another country and so the authorities that will have to deal with it will have to be the authorities in that country.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)..are we offering legal experts (inaudible)
TREASURER:
Well if there is any… let me make this point. This is a decision by an Indonesian court on an Indonesian law with a bench split on a technicality. We the Australian Government believe that those responsible for the Bali bombings should be brought to justice, so does the Indonesian Government. But what has to be addressed is this legal issue in Indonesia. It is not an Australian law, it is not an Australian court, it is not an Australian issue. It’s a matter for the Indonesian legal system. Now we will be through the diplomatic channels on behalf on the dead Australians and their families urging the Indonesian Government to act and I believe the Indonesian Government will do what it can but it’s a question of Indonesian law.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible) IR would be a key part of the election campaign…(inaudible) are you planning a major overhaul of the system as reported in the Fin Review this morning?
TREASURER:
Look, the Government will be seeking to improve Australia’s industrial relations system in the following areas: we think that unfair dismissal laws still are too complex and they still hold small business to ransom and we want to reform them. We believe that there should be much more freedom encouraged between employers and employees. We believe that it is important that voluntary unionism be respected and will continue to be working to ensure those things are respected.