PM: Australia condemns unequivocally the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. This is an attack on the democracy of Pakistan. This is an attack on the stability of Pakistan. This is an attack on the forces for moderation in Pakistan. This assassination is an evil act, it’s a cowardly act, it is an act which has brought about universal condemnation from around the world and deservedly so.

We are looking now at a period ahead where the questions concerning the political stability of Pakistan will be in the forefront of people’s minds. We’re looking at a period ahead where democratic processes in Pakistan will be under further challenge. We’re looking ahead to a period where the international community will be watching very closely what now transpires in Pakistan itself.

I have asked the Foreign Minister of Australia to be in contact with his Pakistani counterpart to convey the views of the Australian Government on these matters.

I repeat, this act, this murder, this assassination of Benazir Bhutto and of many other innocent civilians, is a cowardly act, it’s an evil act, it is deserving entirely of the condemnation of all civilised peoples around the world.

On the question which has already been raised by many today concerning the proposed cricket tour by Australia to Pakistan this year, I’ll be having further discussions with Cricket Australia during the course of today as will the Government more generally in the days and weeks ahead. These matters were discussed between myself and Cricket Australia yesterday prior to these horrendous events and those discussions will continue today.

Our first and foremost concern – like Cricket Australia’s – is the safety and security of the Australian cricket team and we will be providing through the government every source of information necessary for Cricket Australia to be making an informed judgement about the future of that particular tour.

Furthermore, we believe that it’s important that all people of goodwill around the world express unreserved condemnation for this appalling act of violence in Pakistan today.

Happy to take your questions.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

Well this is a political assassination, it is of deep concern to all those who support democracy, all those who support the stability of Pakistan. The Australian Government like other governments around the world will be watching carefully what now transpires within Pakistan.

The Foreign Minister, Mr Smith, will be raising our concerns with the Government of Pakistan through his Pakistani counterpart in the days ahead and will be monitoring events very closely.

JOURNALIST: What are those concerns?

PM: Australia’s concern - like other democracies - is for the earliest return to normal democratic processes in Pakistan and for the restoration of the rule of law in Pakistan. That has been the bedrock concern of the Australian Government and remains the bedrock concern of the Australian Government.

On top of that, we are concerned obviously about the political stability of Pakistan and we are concerned about the wider region as well.

JOURNALIST: Are there implications for the war on terror?

PM: Those responsible for this appalling act of violence have yet of course to be definitively identified. It reminds us all, however, that terrorism is alive and well in the world – that terrorism remains an enemy of all civilised peoples – and that terrorism therefore needs to be confronted with the full vigour and resolve of the democratic community of states. Therefore, we need to look carefully at what has transpired in Pakistan. We must remain vigilant ourselves, as must the rest of the international community.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

PM: Well the Australian Government’s first and foremost concern is the security of the Australian cricket team. These are matters I was discussing with James Sutherland yesterday at the MCG. We will continue those discussions later today and as I said, the Australian Government will provide Cricket Australia with all information available to it in terms of security and stability within Pakistan given the proposed timing of this tour.

Obviously, this assassination has already triggered violence or further violence in Pakistan itself and we’ll be monitoring those events carefully. We’ll be maintaining very close contact with Cricket Australia – all Australians want to ensure that Cricket Australia and the Government take every reasonable action to ensure the security and safety of the Australian cricket team.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

PM: I think the responsible course of action is for the Australian Government to monitor each day as it unfolds in Pakistan. We’ve already seen evidence of violence in the short period of time that’s elapsed since the assassination. In the days ahead, we don’t know what’s yet to occur, therefore the responsible course of action is for us to be in the closest possible contact with Cricket Australia so an appropriate, informed and timely decision can be made about this particular tour.

JOURNALIST: Have you ever met Benazir Bhutto?

PM: No, I’ve not met Benazir Bhutto before.

JOURNALIST: Will the ultimate decision be made by the Australian Government as apposed to Cricket Australia?

PM: Ultimately, these decisions lie with Cricket Australia but the Australian Government takes an active, keen interest in the security and wellbeing of all Australians- that includes our cricketers.

I think what we’ll do as we’ve done in the past is maintain a very close, continuing dialog with Cricket Australia because obviously through our embassy in Islamabad and obviously through our range of other contacts with Pakistan we are in a reasonable position to provide useful information to them on the security circumstances in that country.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

PM: Well obviously Australia is concerned about continued activity of terrorist organisations in that part of the world. As I’ve said before, there is no definitive conclusion as to the identity of those responsible for this attack. It was an act of extraordinary political violence. I’ve recently been in Afghanistan and of course we are concerned there about the activity of terrorist groups supported by the Taliban. In Afghanistan we will be watching very carefully any wider implications which flow from any of these events in terms of the activities of Taliban, Al Qaeda or other terrorist organisations in that part of the world. Security of this part of the world is of fundamental concern to the government, given that we have troops deployed to that part of the world.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible) … Moti?

PM: After I became Prime Minister, I indicated with the then Government of the Solomon Islands our position was hardline and we would be expecting cooperation from the Government of the Solomon Islands in terms of Mr Moti’s return to Australia. Since then the Government of the Solomon’s has changed and I indicated when the Government changed we were looking forward to a better relationship with the new government of the Solomon Islands. I appreciate the fact that the new government of the Solomon’s has moved early to return Mr Moti to Australia – now these matters lie with the appropriate legal authorities within Australia. On the substance of the matters, of course I won’t comment as they now lie within Australian judicial processes.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible) …Hicks?

PM: Well obviously in the case of Mr Hicks he is the subject of the agreements which were entered into by the previous Australian Government and the Government of the United States. Secondly, the Australian Federal Police have applied for and have been granted an interim protection order in relation to Mr Hicks – conditions are attached to that, those conditions need to upheld consistent with the normal application of Australian law. Mr Hicks should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances and our expectations of Mr Hicks is that he would comply with the requirements which have been imposed upon him.