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WOULD WE BE CONTEMPLATING SUCH IN THE FUTURE. OUR DESIRE IS FOR A SETTLEMENT TO BE REACHED, A SETTLEMENT HAVING BOTH AN EXTERNAL AND AN INTERNAL DIMENSION. OBVIOUSLY ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER IS HARDLY GOING TO BE A STABLE SETTLEMENT. EQUALLY OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SOME KIND OF PEACE KEEPING CONTROL MECHANISM IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY. WHETHER THAT IS GOING TO INVOLVE ACTIVE MILITARY ENGAGEMENT OR WHETHER JUST SOME FORM OF LESSER PRESENCE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. I SUPPOSE A LOT IN THAT RESPECT DEPENDS ON THE LIKELY SUCCESS AND STABILITY OF THE INTERNAL POLITICAL SETTLEMENT THAT WE HOPE WILL EMERGE. BEYOND THAT I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT AUSTRALIA IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE PLAYER IN THIS WHOLE AFFAIR BUT IT IS A REGIONAL MEMBER WHO HAS HAD A CLOSE INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE FOR MANY YEARS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR US OF ACCEPTING, AS WE HAVE, A VERY CONSIDERABLE FLOW OF REFUGEES FROM INDOCHINA, VIETNAM. WE WANT TO SEE THE ISSUE RESOLVED. WE DONT WANT TO PARTICIPATE, HOWEVER, IN ANY MORE DIRECT WAYS THAN THOSE I HAVE INDICATED THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE TABLE.
QUESTION - INDISTINCT (ON THE AUSTRALIAN BID FOR THE MASS TRANSIT PROPOSAL)
SENATOR EVANS
NO, I CANT TELL YOU ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT I SIMPLY MENTION THAT AS ONE OF THE PROJECTS PENDING IN THAILAND IN RESPECT OF WHICH AUSTRALIAN EXPERTISE, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IS VERY INTERESTED AND DOES HAVE A MAJOR BID ON THE TABLE. THAT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY FROM FRUITION THAN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ONE AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY JUDGEMENT ABOUT WHERE WE STAND IN THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS THERE.
QUESTION
INDISTINCT
SENATOR EVANS.
WELL, AS ONE OF MY MINISTERIAL INTERLOCUTERS SAID IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, AS 1S APPARENT TO ANYONE WHO TRIES TO DRIVE AROUND THE STREET, BUT BEYOND THAT I CANT SAY THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AND I AM NOT SUGGESTING THERE WAS. THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROJECT AND ABOUT CHOCOLATE. I HAVE TOLD YOU AS MUCH AS I CAN ABOUT CHOCOLATE AND MARS BARS AND M & M'S. WE SPORE ABOUT CHOCOLATE AS A CONFECTIONERY GENERALLY. THERE IS A SIXTY PERCENT IMPORT TARIFF WHICH IS NOT REALLY A PROTECTIVE TARIFF, JUST A REVENUE RAISING MEASURE ON WHAT WAS PERCEIVED SOME TIME AGO TO BE A LUXURY GOOD. ADD TO THAT THE EIGHTEEN PERCENT COMBINATION OF MUNICIPAL AND CORPORATE TAXES AND YOU HAVE A FAIRLY FORMIDABLE INHIBITOR TO PEOPLE GETTING TOOTH DECAY, SO WHAT WE ARE ARGUING IS THAT THERE IS ALREADY A SUBSTANTIAL MARKET HERE. THERE WOULD BE AN EVEN BIGGER MARKET IF THE PRICES CAN COME DOWN A BIT AND THE REVENUE PROBLEMS ACCORDINGLY ARE LIKELY TO BE RESOLVED. AUSTRALIA DOES HAVE SOME FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCERS OF THESE SORTS OF COMMODITIES AND THIS IS JUST ONE AREA AMONG OTHERS WHERE WE ARE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING A TRADING RELATIONSHIP. I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT IF WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT IS MULTILATERAL TRADE LIBERALISATION AND
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