Howard interview regarding Premiers walkout at Conference in Canberra
20 March 1997
READER… Prime Minister, John Howard, has accused State and Territory leaders of a kindergarten stunt after they stormed out of the Premiers' conference in the deadlock over hospital funding today.
REPORTER…The Premiers are furious, claiming they won't sign up to the new Medicare agreement because the Government's funding offer is woefully inadequate.
They've walked out of their meeting with Mr Howard after he made it clear there'd be no more money on the table.
But the Prime Minister says the Commonwealth will honor the offer it's made, despite what he calls the States' petulant performance.
JOHN HOWARD.. Let me say to the patients of Australia, you will not suffer as a result of a kindergarten stunt.
REPORTER.. Mr Howard is also angry over the Premiers' refusal to discuss the national guns agreement, warning he could raise sales taxes in states that watered down the laws to make high powered guns to expensive to buy.
READER… Premier, John Olsen, says the offer is clearly inadequate and the Commonwealth must reconsider.
JOHN OLSEN.. The core issue is fundamentally the base, the starting point. It is irrelevant what percentage is applied if the base upon which you are applying it to, has been eroded.
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