rudd gutless says pm

heraldsun newspaper


JOHN Howard has branded Kevin Rudd gutless while refusing to go head to head with the Opposition Leader in a televised debate.

Tensions between the two leaders turned personal yesterday over the future of war-torn Iraq.

The Prime Minister seized on Mr Rudd's refusal to give a straight answer on Iraq's fate if US forces were pulled out.

"Over the last day and a half I have been attacked and lacerated by the Opposition for expressing my view," Mr Howard said.

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"The Leader of the Opposition doesn't have the guts to express his."



It was another torrid day in Parliament after the PM's weekend remarks about terrorists praying US Democrat contender Barack Obama, or his party, took the presidency.

A storm of criticism that spread to the American Congress on Monday came back to Mr Howard's own Government yesterday when a federal Liberal MP took aim.

West Australian backbencher Mal Washer suggested the Prime Minister had gone too far.

"Spreading it to the Democrats probably wasn't such a good idea," Dr Washer said.

"There's a lot of good Democrats there who probably don't feel the same way."

Having already accused Mr Howard of damaging the US alliance and relations with the US Democrats, Mr Rudd intensified his attack.

"Will the Prime Minister now accept an invitation from me to a nationally televised debate within the next month, at a time and place of the Prime Minister's choosing, on the future direction of Australia's policy in Iraq?" he said.

Such debates are fixtures during election campaigns but, because they afford the PM and Opposition Leader equal status, are routinely rejected by governments at other times.

That was the case again yesterday when Mr Howard refused, saying Mr Rudd could ask any question he liked when Parliament sat.

Mr Howard then sought to repel the attack by rounding on the following comments by Mr Rudd.

Asked on ABC radio what the consequences would be of a US withdrawal from Iraq, Mr Rudd said: "I am not in the business of providing a rolling external commentary."

Mr Howard said: "The Australian public knows my position -- the Australian public does not know the position of the Leader of the Opposition."