Economy first, says Howard

2004-10-11 08:48

Sydney - Australian Prime Minister John Howard promised on Monday that his newly-elected fourth-term government would as its first priorities strive to maintain a strong economy and keep up the international "war on terrorism".

Howard, who has pledged to keep Australian troops in Iraq, told the first news conference since his weekend election victory that he would use an enhanced mandate to press on with plans for the sale of telecommunications giant Telstra, ease media ownership restrictions and toughen labour laws.

Asked to nominate top priorities, Howard said: "Maintaining a very strong economy, maintaining the strength of our co-operation with our allies both in the region and around the world in the fight against terrorism, and implementing the specific programmes that I took to the Australian public during the campaign."

But he promised his conservative Liberal-National coalition, despite winning the strongest mandate of any Australian government since 1981, would not allow its increased majority to go to its head.

"We are not going to use this somewhat better position in a capricious or disruptive fashion," a relaxed and cheerful prime minister said.

Increased majority

Howard's coalition was returned to office with an increased majority in the lower house of parliament and a likely 38-seat blocking majority in the 76-member senate.

The prime minister played down the prospect of his coalition winning a 39th seat and outright majority in the upper house senate.

However, the government is expected to win the support, at least on many issues, of the conservative Family First Party, which appears set to win a Senate seat at its first attempt.

Final Senate results may not be known until October 22 after postal and absentee ballots are counted, electoral officials said.

Howard also confirmed plans to attend next month's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Chile and an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Laos, and said he would seek talks, expected next month, with Indonesia's president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

During his meeting with Yudhoyono, Howard said he would urge the Indonesian government to ensure the full sentences were carried out in relation to those responsible for the October 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian.

The second anniversary of the bombings which targeted a nightclub strip frequented by Western tourists, is on Tuesday.

Although he declined at the news conference to speculate on his future, Howard had earlier in the day hinted that he would retire sometime during his fourth three-year term in office.

"I'm not really thinking about three years let alone six years," he told a radio chat show after being asked if he would lead his coalition into another election.

- AFP