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STEPHEN SMITH: I am very pleased to be here at Perth Glory's training with Mile to make some remarks about the World Cup and information that we're providing to Australians who will go and support the Socceroos.

Anyone who's travelling to South Africa should, of course, read our travel advisory, should register with Smartraveller and also read our special World Cup bulletin. We're taking extra special steps.

We expect that the World Cup will be a triumph for South Africa. We're expecting that anywhere up to 10,000 Australians will go, but we want to make sure that they've got all of the information they need to enjoy the occasion and to remain safe. So there is sensible information and sensible precautions that Australians can take.

In addition to the usual travel advice, in addition to a special World Cup bulletin, we're also providing a couple of special mechanisms for providing information to Australians who are there watching the World Cup and supporting the Socceroos. Today we'll launch a Facebook site which will provide information to Australians in South Africa following the Cup. We're also going to institute a Twitter messaging service so that Australians can get information that's required to be delivered urgently.

We're also arranging for mobile embassies to be at the site of the three Australian games in the first round, and hopefully we'll be able to repeat that in the second round. But there'll be mobile embassies on Sunday night, for example, at the ground in Durban, and for the two games against Ghana and Serbia.

So we're providing some special efforts at information. Making sure that Australians who go have got access to, not just our usual travel advice, but to the special World Cup bulletin. And also special information provided on a Facebook site, through Twitter and through our mobile embassies at the grounds on the occasion of the games. Before people go they should, of course, register with Smartraveller. That's very important. That enables us to keep in contact with them and provide them with information. And they should also make sure they take out comprehensive insurance.

So, we're looking forward to Australians enjoying themselves. We're looking forward to the Socceroos being successful, but we do want Australians to register so that we can provide them with all the usual information, and with any special information that might come to hand in the course of the World Cup.

Mile, of course, went to the last World Cup, so he no doubt will be able to give you some comments about what that environment is like. And I'm very pleased to be with him today to launch our World Cup Consular Information Kit.

Thanks very much. Mile?

MILE STERJOVSKI: Any questions? I don't really have anything to say.

[Laughter]

STEPHEN SMITH: He's shy.

QUESTION: Should we talk to you and then talk to Mile?

STEPHEN SMITH: If you want to, yeah. You might want to talk to Mile about Perth Glory.

QUESTION: What particular dangers - in particular in South Africa would people have to be careful of who are going over there?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, if you look at our travel advice for South Africa, it's to exercise a high degree of caution, largely because of the danger of crime or law and order. So we do tell people to exercise caution, to be aware of their surroundings and their circumstances, and to be careful to avoid getting in to situations where they might be the subject of crime, or the victims of crime.

In the first instance, people should always carefully read our travel advisory. But for some time our travel advisory for South Africa has indicated to exercise that caution because of the possibility or the dangers of crime or law and order.

But in the circumstances of the World Cup, there'll be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of visitors to South Africa. Large groups of supporters gathering at the grounds and that's why we're taking special efforts through Facebook, through Twitter, and also through our mobile embassies at the grounds themselves.

QUESTION: These mobile embassies, can you just explain a bit more what particular services they would provide?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, they'll be a presence outside the ground on the days and nights of the games. Australian officials will be there. They'll be able to obviously help any Australians who might be in distress or in difficult circumstances, to provide information. But essentially just to be there as a presence. To let Australian supporters, to let Socceroos's supporters know that there's an Australian presence at the ground to give them whatever assistance can be provided if they're in any difficulty.

QUESTION: Are you happy with how the South African Government and authorities have so far planned for everything?

STEPHEN SMITH: Yes. I was in South Africa earlier this year, in Pretoria, and sat down and spoke not just with my counterpart, the Foreign Minister, but also with their officials, to satisfy ourselves that they were taking all of the necessary and usual precautions, so far as security for the World Cup was concerned.

Since then we've been in very close contact with them at agency and officer level. So we're satisfied that they're taking all of the usual and necessary precautions.

But because we know that large numbers of Australians will go, because we want them to enjoy the World Cup, because we want them to focus on supporting the Socceroos and having a good time, we're also providing them with these extra avenues of information to make sure that they are aware and alert at all times for any major changing circumstances, but also to provide them with ongoing information.

But the key start of that process is for Australians who are going to the World Cup to register on Smartraveller and to take out their comprehensive insurance. Once they register on Smartraveller, we can then keep in contact with them. But they should also avail themselves, for example, of the Facebook site. And if they register with us, we can also keep in contact with them through the special Twitter service.

QUESTION: Minister, on the super profits tax, do you agree with Simon Crean's comments that the Government should have consulted business before announcing the scheme?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, I'm not sure Simon said that, but what we are doing is making sure that there is a very calm and exhaustive consultative process. I've been saying for the last week or so when I've been in Perth that what we need is just some calm conversations, more light rather than heat. And I must say I'm very pleased that in the last couple of days, that seems now to be taking foot.

We were very pleased with the Cabinet visit to Perth. Very pleased with the consultations and the meetings that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer had. So, a bit more quiet discussion behind closed doors, and a bit less heat in the public, will assist this process.

But the consultation process is underway. Both in terms of the formal Treasury consultation process, and also with the relevant ministers, including, as you know, the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, and Martin Ferguson the Minister for Resources and Energy.

REPORTER: So no Cabinet disunity on this at all?

STEPHEN SMITH: The decision is a budget-Cabinet decision, firstly. Secondly, we've made it clear, as the Prime Minister did on a number of occasions here during the week, that we want to engage exhaustively with the industry and individual companies on the transitional and implementation arrangements. And as the Prime Minister made clear, for example, at the Press Club, he has in mind generous transitional and implementation arrangements.

So, the most important thing is for people to sit down and to quietly have a conversation with each other. And that's what's occurring, and we're pleased about that. And we shouldn't allow the rhetoric and the noise of the public debate to deflect anyone from that. And I'm pleased that in the last week or so we're seeing progress on that front. From both sides.

REPORTER: Sorry. The Prime Minister's indicated that the discussion about this could go on for months. Could that damage the WA industry, or economy?

STEPHEN SMITH: He said this process could go on for some time. Equally, for example, we're seeing some reports today that the matter's about to be resolved. And some reports that it could go on for a long time. And he said maybe it's somewhere in the middle.

The most important thing is not to put an artificial timetable on it, or any timetable on it. The important thing is to listen very carefully to the views of the industry, and to individual companies. And to make sensible and careful decisions about implementation and transitional arrangements.

And that's what's occurring. I'd rather that that took more time, and we got it right than less time.

REPORTER: Can I ask you about the people smugglers, Stephen. Some are being transferred, or 10 are being transferred from Northern Territory to Queensland. Is that now a change and a bit of a sharing of the load?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well you'd need to ask Chris Evans, my colleague, about the details of that. He'll provide the full details on those operational matters.

REPORTER: So you can't comment on...

STEPHEN SMITH: Well I'd prefer to leave the detail of that operational matter to Chris Evans, the Immigration Minister.

REPORTER: Have you had anything to do with the 16-year-old sailor who's missing in the Indian Ocean at all?

STEPHEN SMITH: Other than to indicate, firstly, it's formally a matter for my colleague Anthony Albanese, the Minister for Transport, that's the first point. Secondly, we are of course, as all Australians would want us to do, discharging properly our search and rescue obligations.

We received a request from the La Réunion authorities to assist in a search and rescue of a distressed yachtswoman in the La Réunion search and rescue area.

We've dispatched a plane to assist, and we will obviously, once the plane gets there and can make the necessary observations, we'll do whatever is required to discharge our search and rescue obligations.

But we have, as a maritime nation, these responsibilities and we always discharge them properly. That's not just in the interests of people who fall into distress in the high seas, but it's also in our own interests, because the reciprocal arrangement applies when Australians find themselves in distress in the high seas as well.

REPORTER: Can you just tell us when the Chinese Vice President is visiting, and what's the purpose of the visit?

STEPHEN SMITH: The Chinese Vice President will be here in the next couple of weeks. I'll await the formal indication of that programme by the Prime Minister's Office and the Vice President's Office.

The Vice President, we welcome very much his visit. We've had a range of high-level visits from China to Australia and from Australia to China. It's part of the normal exchange between two countries which have an important bilateral relationship.

We have a very important relationship with China, economically. Our relationship is now at the level of a Strategic Dialogue. I was in China myself in the last couple of weeks at the Shanghai Expo.

But this is the second Chinese vice president who has visited Australia in recent times; and that's a very good thing.

STAFF AIDE: Sorry, any questions for Mile?

REPORTER: Mile, what are your emotions, right now, with the boys about to kick-start their campaign?

MILE STERJOVSKI: I'm very optimistic. I think they've got a good chance of getting through to the next round. I think they've overcome most of their major injury worries. And if they're fully fit I think they can go a long way.

REPORTER: Is it, sort of, eating away at you that you missed out?

MILE STERJOVSKI: Yeah, of course I'm a little bit disappointed. But, you know, I'm still happy for the boys, and I really want them to do well. And I think they've got the experience from the last World Cup. And also they've got a few fresh faces in there.

So, I think they can do really well.

REPORTER: Can they beat Germany, or would you be happy just to see a draw?

MILE STERJOVSKI: I think that anything's possible in a World Cup. And Germany's going to be a very difficult opponent, but, you know, it's the opening game. And maybe the heavy defeat against the USA might wake them up, and make them put in a good performance against Germany. So anything's possible.

REPORTER: What about Glory, Mile? How's the pre-season going?

MILE STERJOVSKI: It's been going really well. We've got a lot of new players in. They're looking very eager to impress. And Robbie's come in now and he's looking very good at training, and I believe it's going to be his first game on Tuesday against Rockingham. So we're all looking forward to seeing how he goes, and, you know, we're very excited about this next season coming up.

REPORTER: Long pre-season, nice to get some games in nice and early?

MILE STERJOVSKI: Yeah, definitely. It's good to get the boys playing together, and trying to gel early, and I think it's going to be an important season for us this year. And, we're expected to try and make the finals again, and maybe even go further. So there's a bit of pressure on us, but we know we're liking that, and hopefully we can do well.

REPORTER: Mile, how much talk amongst the camp is it about the World Cup? And will you get together and watch any games, or do you just do it all on your own?

MILE STERJOVSKI: No, definitely there's talk of the boys getting together to watch a few of the games. There's a few of the boys getting together tonight to watch the opening match. And obviously England's playing tomorrow, and then the Aussies on Sunday. So, we're going to get together and watch a few games. It's good team bonding as well.

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