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SIMON CREAN: There's been speculation in the newspapers today, surrounding the security attaching to our Commonwealth Games team, when they visit India later this year.

The first point I would make is the Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of our athletes and with that in mind we've instituted a number of things to ensure that. The first is, that the Prime Minister has designated the Commonwealth Games event a special event and what this does is to provide for the national coordination of our approach surrounding the team. The second is that our High Commission in Delhi has been in close contact with the Indian authorities, and we also sent in September of this year a security team to Delhi to participate in a conference and discussion about the circumstances surrounding the games.

We will continue to use all information through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure that all relevant information is made available. In the end, it's not a decision for the Government as to whether the team actually goes, that's a decision for the athletes. It's also the decision for the sporting bodies but, of course, we have to provide the most accurate information available. We've set in train all appropriate measures to ensure that happens and we will continue to do so.

The Commonwealth Games are a great event. Those of us who live in Melbourne will understand how significant and how appropriate these games were and what value they brought to the community and the sporting fraternity in 2006. We hope to use the goodwill generated from those games to also instill into the Indian games . And it's not only on the security arrangements that we'll be cooperating, but also cooperating with the Indian Government about the most effective ways in which they can make the games a happy, as well as a safe event.

QUESTION: So in - you're not going to tell them what to do, but based on that research that you're talking about, what would your advice be to them? Should they be cautious?

SIMON CREAN: We always urge caution and if you look at the travel advisories that the department puts out, it covers a whole range of countries all around the world and gives advice not just to sporting participants, but to all travellers. We place a high priority on the importance of giving the most accurate information available.

At this stage, we continue to say that there is no reason for concern. That's a view that's been expressed by the sporting bodies and by a number of athletes. But given the comments today, I think whilst it's important to reiterate that position, I think it's more important to reiterate that we do take the security of our athletes seriously and we will continue to apply the strictest endeavours to ensure that they are safe.

QUESTION: How is the relationship with India lately? Things are - gone from bad to worse it seems. How's - how are you coping with that?

SIMON CREAN: I think the relationship is going through a difficult time, but I think government-to-government level it is still a very strong relationship. Now this government, when it came to office a little over two years ago, indicated that we believed that the relationship with India had been underdone. We have spent much time and effort in trying to strengthen the relationship and to develop it. In that regard there have been many visits, both by ministers to India and by ministers from India to here.

The events over the last - particularly the last week - on the back of the incidents attaching to students last year, have raised a new level of concern. But I am very pleased that overnight, the Government has issued a, what I believe, is a very constructive and responsible advice and that is not to over-react to it. To understand that investigations are being undertaken. We need to get all of the facts first and we shouldn't over-react until all facts are in.

We welcome that advice from the Government of India and I think that demonstrates the strength of the effort that's been put into date, that the importance both sides attach to ensuring that we base decisions and our responses on the facts, not on speculation.

QUESTION: Mr Crean, Indian students frequently say that they're experiencing increasing racism - not just here in Victoria, but elsewhere. Do you have that concern that maybe racism is on the rise here and more needs to be done to sort of counter it?

SIMON CREAN: I don't have the concern that racism is on the rise. I think that Australia is a very tolerant and anti-racist society. In fact, I think it goes out of its way to promote non-racism as part of our core value set.

Now that never guarantees that 100 per cent of the populous follows that. There have been some incidents in which racial overtones have been alleged. But I think it is important in terms of the two most recent events, that it's not only the Victorian Police saying that there is no evidence in either case that the attacks - the murder and then the subsequent attack, were racially based. I think it's also important in terms of the most recent incident, that a relative of Mr Singh, the victim of the recent attack, also doesn't believe it was racially based.

And that's why I think it is important to wait the outcome of the investigations. As frustrating as these things are, we need to let the law enforcement authorities undertake their work, to ascertain the facts and then to make rational judgements based on the facts.

QUESTION: Mr Crean have you spoken to any of your colleagues in India since either of these attacks occurred?

SIMON CREAN: No, I haven't in terms of the last few days. Our High Commission clearly has been in contact. The department's been in contact with the High Commission. We haven't had requests as such for those sorts of contacts. Of course we stand ready to undertake those contacts. I'm in regular contact with my counterpart, the Trade Minister.

But I believe that because of the intensive discussions that have been undertaken over the course of the last 12 months in particular, where these issues have been discussed openly - on my last visit there, the Deputy Prime Minister's visit there, the Prime Minister's visit there, the Foreign Minister's visit there - we've been quite open with them about the importance of addressing this problem, addressing the problem of Indian students, their safety, the quality of the education provided, the back-up systems provided and the appropriate authorisation of education bodies - we've taken many steps in this regard.

I think that's why you saw the very responsible warning overnight from the Indian Government not to over-react. I think they do understand that we're genuine in trying to get on top of the problem. It may be frustrating that these things, not only continue to happen, but there are no immediate clear answers as to why they happen. But cooler heads have prevailed and we welcome that.

QUESTION: They are unfortunate coincidences aren't they for - in such delicate situations, where people are already upset, and to have these coincidences happen must be difficult for you in your position to open the paper and see yet another Indian victim, be it racist or not. How's that been?

SIMON CREAN: Well - but they're facts of life and I think we have to deal with them. But we have to deal with them based on the facts. There's no point over-reacting, no point basing the response simply on speculation. And that's been the constant message that we have conveyed. We've got the taskforce operating between the Federal Government and the appropriate law enforcement authorities within the respective states concerned.

Most of these seem to be happening in Melbourne. We're working very closely with the Victorian Government and with the - and in turn with the Victorian law enforcement authorities. But most importantly, we're working very closely and constructively with our Indian counterparts. We believe that is very important. The message we're trying to convey is that don't over-react to the circumstances. Let's establish the facts and let's make judgements based on those facts.

QUESTION: Mr Crean, just about Rusal in Russia and the threats to the Australian journalists there. Do you have any concerns that maybe with the scrutiny - that not enough scrutiny was given, at the time, when Rusal was allowed to invest in our aluminium parts, or aluminium bauxite assets. And do you have any ongoing concerns now about them being a suitable investor in Australia?

SIMON CREAN: I'm sorry, I thought you were referring to something else when I...

QUESTION: Sorry, it's...

SIMON CREAN: This is something I'm not fully apprised of. I'd prefer to get better facts before I respond to that, but perhaps we can follow that up.

QUESTION: This is the warning from the Australian Embassy to the Australian journalists that....the people waiting outside his house. ...for [indistinct] them if they had links to Rusal.

SIMON CREAN: But if you're asking me about the Consular dimension of that circumstance, I'm entirely satisfied that the information that became available to us and was conveyed in the way it was to the Australian journalists was entirely appropriate. We're not in the position of being able to divulge the source of that information, but we acted appropriately in the interests of the safety of the journalist.

QUESTION: Do you have any concerns that there's any inappropriate relationships between the Embassy and Rusal?

SIMON CREAN: No I don't have concerns about inappropriate relationships between the Embassy. I think the Embassy clearly was doing its job. The fact that it gave the tip-off, I think it would appear was appropriate in the case of the journalist.

QUESTION: And do you have any concern about Rusal being an ongoing foreign investor in Australia?

SIMON CREAN: Well, again, all investments in Australia are determined again... all major investments are determined against the national interest guidelines. They're a matter, ultimately, for the decision of the Treasurer based on the facts and based on the advice of the Foreign Investment Review Board. They're all - all of them are considered with the circumstances surrounding them, again not based on speculation, or anticipation. Okay.

ENDS

Media inquiries

• Mr Crean’s Office: (02) 6277 7420
• Departmental Media Liason: (02) 6261 1555