ID :
29477
Mon, 11/10/2008 - 18:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/29477
The shortlink copeid
Libs pursue PM over leaked conversation
The federal opposition is continuing to pursue Kevin Rudd over the alleged leaking of a conversation between the prime minister and United States President George W Bush. Mr Rudd on Monday refused to answer directly a question from Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull on whether he or any member of his office had disclosed purported
details of the conversation that appeared in The Australian newspaper.
The furore centres around a claim in the newspaper that the outgoing president asked Mr Rudd: "What's the G20?", an allegation since denied by both Canberra and Washington. Adding to the intrigue, the editor-in-chief of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, was said to have been at a dinner party at the prime minister's Sydney residence,
Kirribilli House, on the night in question.
Publicly, diplomats based in Canberra have stayed mum about the episode, but, privately, some have admitted future conversations between Mr Rudd and international leaders may require certain caution.
In question time on Monday, Mr Turnbull asked Mr Rudd to "assure the house that neither he nor any person in his office disclosed any of the details of this call to The Australian newspaper".
Mr Rudd repeatedly stressed that suggestions Mr Bush did not understand the
significance of the G20 were inaccurate, but he did not address the question put by
Mr Turnbull.
"The conversation with the president of the United States was about the significance
of the G20, the usefulness of the G20 and any suggestion that the president of the
United States was not aware of the significance of the G20 was simply not accurate,"
Mr Rudd said.
He then tried to turn the tables on the opposition, asking when it was going to
apologise for comments made by former prime minister John Howard early last year.
Mr Howard controversially suggested that a victory for Barack Obama - now the US
president-elect - would be a victory for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda because of
his policy to withdraw troops from Iraq.
"On the question of our relationship with the United States, when do we get an
apology from the Liberal Party for them describing Barack Obama's victory as a
victory for al-Qaeda?"
Mr Turnbull later accused Mr Rudd of having a double standard regarding security
breaches in his office and those elsewhere in government.
"(It appears) no investigation has been instigated into this damaging breach of
confidence," he said in a statement.
"This contrasts sharply with extensive investigations launched into other recent
security breaches.
"Clearly Mr Rudd applies one rule for his own office and another for the rest of the
government."
Mr Rudd's office was not immediately available for comment.
The conversation between Mr Rudd and Mr Bush was reportedly monitored by a notetaker
in each of their offices.
details of the conversation that appeared in The Australian newspaper.
The furore centres around a claim in the newspaper that the outgoing president asked Mr Rudd: "What's the G20?", an allegation since denied by both Canberra and Washington. Adding to the intrigue, the editor-in-chief of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, was said to have been at a dinner party at the prime minister's Sydney residence,
Kirribilli House, on the night in question.
Publicly, diplomats based in Canberra have stayed mum about the episode, but, privately, some have admitted future conversations between Mr Rudd and international leaders may require certain caution.
In question time on Monday, Mr Turnbull asked Mr Rudd to "assure the house that neither he nor any person in his office disclosed any of the details of this call to The Australian newspaper".
Mr Rudd repeatedly stressed that suggestions Mr Bush did not understand the
significance of the G20 were inaccurate, but he did not address the question put by
Mr Turnbull.
"The conversation with the president of the United States was about the significance
of the G20, the usefulness of the G20 and any suggestion that the president of the
United States was not aware of the significance of the G20 was simply not accurate,"
Mr Rudd said.
He then tried to turn the tables on the opposition, asking when it was going to
apologise for comments made by former prime minister John Howard early last year.
Mr Howard controversially suggested that a victory for Barack Obama - now the US
president-elect - would be a victory for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda because of
his policy to withdraw troops from Iraq.
"On the question of our relationship with the United States, when do we get an
apology from the Liberal Party for them describing Barack Obama's victory as a
victory for al-Qaeda?"
Mr Turnbull later accused Mr Rudd of having a double standard regarding security
breaches in his office and those elsewhere in government.
"(It appears) no investigation has been instigated into this damaging breach of
confidence," he said in a statement.
"This contrasts sharply with extensive investigations launched into other recent
security breaches.
"Clearly Mr Rudd applies one rule for his own office and another for the rest of the
government."
Mr Rudd's office was not immediately available for comment.
The conversation between Mr Rudd and Mr Bush was reportedly monitored by a notetaker
in each of their offices.
