Hawke upset by 'twisting' of Rudd chat

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke says he's saddened that a chat he had about Kevin
Rudd was overheard, "twisted", and fed to reporters as leadership speculation.
Media reports on Friday night said Mr Hawke was heard saying he was unhappy with the
prime minister's performance, and wanted him replaced with his deputy Julia Gillard
now, except that it would burn both of them if Labor lost the election.
But Mr Hawke issued a statement, saying his conversation with Labor backbencher
Daryl Melham while waiting for a delayed plane at Canberra Airport was nothing of
the sort.
"As you normally do in Canberra, Daryl and I chatted about the latest media
speculation in the press gallery," he said.
"I expressed my disappointment about the polls and my support for Kevin and for the
government.
"It's pretty sad that someone, who would hardly be an objective observer, twisted my
words and misrepresented them."
Mr Hawke added that he "can't wait" to campaign for Mr Rudd at the next election.
Mr Melham blamed a Liberal Party staffer for the reports.
"Bob and myself were doing nothing more than discussing the usual Canberra press
gallery rumour mill," he said in a statement.
"The fact that some Liberal staffer has deliberately eavesdropped on this
conversation and misrepresented it to the media just shows how desperate the Liberal
Party has become."
Leadership speculation has been reignited after a series of poor polls for Mr Rudd,
and the continued popularity of his deputy.



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