JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, are you satisfied that the Navy took all reasonable steps to find SIEV-X given the revelation that it did no aerial surveillance in waters south of Java on the afternoon that SIEV-X sank?
PRIME MINISTER:
On all the information I have been given I am satisfied and I regard the continued campaign by some in the media to denigrate and besmirch the reputation of the Royal Australian Navy as quite outrageous.
JOURNALIST:
So how does the Navy's failure to do afternoon surveillance of the north west sector gel with the goal of Operation Relex to find and send back boats as close as possible to Indonesian waters because no afternoon surveillance means theyre more than halfway to Christmas Island by the time they're spotted?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well given all of the information that I've been presented with there is nothing to validate a claim of neglect or indifference or insensitivity.
JOURNALIST:
So what documents do you have, what information?
PRIME MINISTER:
I dont have it with me Margo.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I've been given a lot of information over a long period of time and all of the information I've been given, all of it, leads me to believe that the Navy did everything it could reasonably be expected and that the continued attempt to implicate them and in some way to imply that they are responsible for this tragic incident, I think its quite appalling.
JOURNALIST:
In hindsight do you think surveillance should have -
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. I think people are being quite unfair on the men and women of the Royal Australian Navy and I intend to go on defending them.
JOURNALIST:
But how do explain Admiral Smith's false evidence that he had [no information on SIEV-X before it sanK?]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't accept that people have given, look I don't have all of the documents with me and I'm not going to get into answering particular, in relation to the particulars of certain documents that I don't have with me and I havent looked at in the last 24 or 48 hours. But I have followed this very closely and I repeat that I'm satisfied that the Navy did everything and I regard this campaign by some as quite appalling and unfair to the men and women of the Royal Australian Navy.
JOURNALIST:
Are you now able to advise where you got the information on or before the 23rd of October that SIEV-X sank in Indonesian waters?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't got anything to add to what Ive said.
JOURNALIST:
But you recall that I asked you this question last week and you said that you'd have to check.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'm telling, you I don't have anything to add to what I've said.
JOURNALIST:
So you're not able to advise -
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm telling you I'm not adding anything to what I've said.
JOURNALIST:
Why not Mr Howard?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because I'm not adding anything to what I've said.
JOURNALIST:
What's your reason for it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not adding anything to what I've said.