Thursday 25 May 2006
ABC Lateline
Reporter: Craig McMurtrie

TONY JONES: Well, John Howard and Kim Beazley engaged in long-range warfare today over nuclear power. From Dublin, the Prime Minister accused the Opposition leader of hypocrisy over uranium exports. While Mr Beazley demanded Mr Howard tell the voters just where he'd build nuclear reactors. Political editor Craig McMurtrie reports from the Irish capital.

CRAIG McMURTRIE, POLITICAL EDITOR: A handful of protesters braved miserable Dublin spring weather...

PROTESTER: (Chanting) Howard, Howard, Bush's man!

CRAIG McMURTRIE: ..as John Howard arrived at Parliament for the last act in a long journey. The Irish Greens leader had a protest letter ready, arranged from the other side of the world.

TREVOR SARGENT, TD, LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY IN IRELAND: I was talking to Bob Brown and he said to give you this.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: But as Ireland's Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, showed him around, independent MPs were declaring a boycott of his speech.

TONY GREGORY, IRISH MP: I deplore, ah, the war in Iraq and Mr Howard is a chief architect of that illegal war.

FINIAN McGRATH, IRISH MP: We find it very, very offensive that Mr Howard is a cheerleader for George Bush.

CATHERINE MURPH, IRISH MP: I have concerns about the method of detaining people in camps in Australia. And I think it's inhumane.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: An address by a foreign leader in the Dail is a rare honour; the last was delivered by Tony Blair eight years ago.

JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER: Australia will always retain a deep affection for Ireland and the Irish people.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: Having come away empty-handed from talks yesterday on reducing EU farm subsidies, John Howard issued a warning.

JOHN HOWARD: The world must not allow this trade round to fail. Unless some progress is made in relation to agricultural reform and agricultural subsidies, it will be very difficult indeed.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: In the end, there were many more empty seats than expected. Some Greens, Sinn Fein and a significant number of Labour MPs staying away as well. Up to a quarter of the chamber was empty. But the Prime Minister shrugged it off.

JOHN HOWARD: Good on 'em. If they don't agree with me, they don't have to turn up.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: At the end of a trip dominated by leadership speculation and a push for a nuclear debate in Australia, he had a long-range shot at Kim Beazley, accusing him of hypocrisy for coming out against nuclear power.

JOHN HOWARD: If nuclear power is unsafe, unacceptable, and anti-the environment, you shouldn't export any uranium to any other country.

KIM BEAZLEY, OPPOSITION LEADER: Now, John Howard, on one of his visits to Australia, needs to rule out and give certainty to people in communities who are potentially affected by his proposal to place a - or several - nuclear power reactors around the country.

CRAIG McMURTRIE: In this trip, John Howard's covered over 20,000km, but two weeks is a long time for a prime minister to be out of the country, which is why he's already on his way home to be back in Parliament tomorrow. Craig McMurtrie, Lateline.