ID :
15671
Tue, 08/12/2008 - 18:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/15671
The shortlink copeid
Rudd to campaign in WA election
(AAP) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will go the West Australia on Wednesday to campaign for the upcoming state election, with the Liberals predicting his appearance will prove a negative for the Carpenter government.
Mr Rudd has flown to Perth from Singapore after a six-day Asian trip, during which
he attended the Olympic Games in Beijing, began talks on a trade agreement with
South Korea and honoured Allied soldiers at Singapore's Kranji War Cemetery.
WA Premier Alan Carpenter said on Sunday he had invited Mr Rudd to visit Perth
during the campaign for the September 6 state election.
The prime minister is expected to spend several hours on the campaign trail with Mr
Carpenter on Wednesday morning (WST).
Acting federal Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, the member for inner-Perth electorate
of Curtin who is standing in for Brendan Nelson while he is overseas, said Mr Rudd
had "some very serious questions" to answer on his return to Australia.
She said the announcement by the Reserve Bank that it expected job losses of 100,000
in coming months was the most concerning issue, particularly as Labor's May budget
contained treasury predictions of 134,000 job losses within 12 months.
The federal government is still to reveal whether the figures are separate, and
whether it is possible that 250,000 people may soon be out of work, Ms Bishop says.
"Mr Rudd must tell West Australians whether the 134,000 job losses will occur in
this state - and if so where and in which parts of the economy and in which
businesses," she said.
"He has to answer why there was a $2 billion tax hike on gas condensate - a $2
billion tax hike on the North West Shelf which we believe will be passed onto
domestic gas users in this state.
"And he must also answer why he has done nothing to reduce grocery or oil prices as
he promised to do at the last election."
Ms Bishop said West Australians had already delivered Labor its worst result in any
state at the last federal election.
She said questions were still being asked about Mr Rudd's explanations for his three
meetings with disgraced WA premier Brian Burke in 2005, and this alone would make
his visit to WA a negative for the Carpenter campaign.
"Mr Rudd does have history of a relationship with Brian Burke that he tried to avoid
in the lead-up to the federal election," Ms Bishop said.
"All those issues of his dealings with Brian Burke, and how honest he was with the
Australian people about his relations with Brian Burke, will be the focus of his
visit here."
The WA Corruption and Crime Commission is understood to be close to handing down its
findings into investigations of the links between public servants and MPs with Mr
Burke and fellow lobbyist Julian Grill.
"We've already had five ministers resign (since the last election), how many more
would be resigning if we'd heard from the CCC on this government's shady dealings?"
Ms Bishop said.
Campaigning on Tuesday, Mr Carpenter promised "modest reform" of WA's restricted
shopping hours if Labor wins the election.
Opposition Leader Colin Barnett pledged to repeal Labor's "soft on drugs" cannabis
laws if the Liberals win government.
Mr Rudd has flown to Perth from Singapore after a six-day Asian trip, during which
he attended the Olympic Games in Beijing, began talks on a trade agreement with
South Korea and honoured Allied soldiers at Singapore's Kranji War Cemetery.
WA Premier Alan Carpenter said on Sunday he had invited Mr Rudd to visit Perth
during the campaign for the September 6 state election.
The prime minister is expected to spend several hours on the campaign trail with Mr
Carpenter on Wednesday morning (WST).
Acting federal Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, the member for inner-Perth electorate
of Curtin who is standing in for Brendan Nelson while he is overseas, said Mr Rudd
had "some very serious questions" to answer on his return to Australia.
She said the announcement by the Reserve Bank that it expected job losses of 100,000
in coming months was the most concerning issue, particularly as Labor's May budget
contained treasury predictions of 134,000 job losses within 12 months.
The federal government is still to reveal whether the figures are separate, and
whether it is possible that 250,000 people may soon be out of work, Ms Bishop says.
"Mr Rudd must tell West Australians whether the 134,000 job losses will occur in
this state - and if so where and in which parts of the economy and in which
businesses," she said.
"He has to answer why there was a $2 billion tax hike on gas condensate - a $2
billion tax hike on the North West Shelf which we believe will be passed onto
domestic gas users in this state.
"And he must also answer why he has done nothing to reduce grocery or oil prices as
he promised to do at the last election."
Ms Bishop said West Australians had already delivered Labor its worst result in any
state at the last federal election.
She said questions were still being asked about Mr Rudd's explanations for his three
meetings with disgraced WA premier Brian Burke in 2005, and this alone would make
his visit to WA a negative for the Carpenter campaign.
"Mr Rudd does have history of a relationship with Brian Burke that he tried to avoid
in the lead-up to the federal election," Ms Bishop said.
"All those issues of his dealings with Brian Burke, and how honest he was with the
Australian people about his relations with Brian Burke, will be the focus of his
visit here."
The WA Corruption and Crime Commission is understood to be close to handing down its
findings into investigations of the links between public servants and MPs with Mr
Burke and fellow lobbyist Julian Grill.
"We've already had five ministers resign (since the last election), how many more
would be resigning if we'd heard from the CCC on this government's shady dealings?"
Ms Bishop said.
Campaigning on Tuesday, Mr Carpenter promised "modest reform" of WA's restricted
shopping hours if Labor wins the election.
Opposition Leader Colin Barnett pledged to repeal Labor's "soft on drugs" cannabis
laws if the Liberals win government.
