Rudd releases details of Burke emails


A SERIES of emails has cast doubt on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's claim he pulled out of a dinner with disgraced Labor powerbroker Brian Burke because he felt uncomfortable about it.

Mr Rudd's office released the email exchange late this afternoon following revelations one of Mr Rudd's staff had held email discussions with Burke, a convicted fraudster, in late 2005.

Burke, the former WA premier, repeatedly offered in late 2005 to host a dinner for Mr Rudd, then the opposition foreign affairs spokesman, with senior journalists in Perth.

The dinner was arranged for December 12 but Mr Rudd pulled out a week beforehand, citing a trip to Hong Kong as his reason.

"Dear Brian, I'm really sorry to do this but I am being stuffed around a bit by DFAT for the Hong Kong Ministerial WTO meeting,'' Mr Rudd said in an email sent from executive assistant Gina Tilley's email address.

"They told me this morning that they now want the whole delegation in town on Monday. They may change their minds again - I'm not sure.

"Rather than withdraw from the dinner at the last minute, could I be rude and put it off until next year ... is that OK? Sorry to do this - out of my hands. Kevin.''

But when Mr Rudd's contact with Mr Burke came to light last March, the then opposition leader said he had felt uncomfortable with Mr Burke's offer to host the dinner.

"Having a discussion with someone at a social gathering is one thing, then taking someone's assistance to organise a meeting with journalists in Western Australia I thought was going too far,'' Mr Rudd told journalists on March 1 last year.

"I felt uncomfortable about that and in this business you make judgments about whether that level of assistance is appropriate.''

The email exchange reveals Mr Rudd, through Ms Tilley, initially took up the offer on November 29, suggesting December 12.

Burke responded almost immediately, confirming the date and proposing a guest list of 19, including 10 journalists, some state and federal MPs and Burke's wife Sarah.

Beside each of the journalists' names, Mr Burke added a comment about their political leanings, general competency levels and personalities.

"Very pleasant young woman - average journalist,'' Mr Burke wrote of one, while describing another as "manageable''.

Ms Tilley emailed back, asking if there would be room for Mr Rudd's senior adviser, Alister Jordan, to which Mr Burke responded: "Dear Kevin, absolutely. Regards.''

But on December 5, Mr Rudd cancelled.

Now even Aussie knows Kevvy lied

Kevin Rudd hammered over Burke links


KEVIN Rudd said yesterday he was unsure whether he discussed the Labor leadership with former WA premier Brian Burke, conceding he might have had phone calls with him "from time to time".

The Federal Opposition used Question Time to continue its attack on the Prime Minister over his dealings with Mr Burke in 2005, accusing him of being disingenuous and Machiavellian.

But Mr Rudd acknowledged becoming "progressively uncomfortable" about his association with Mr Burke before finally breaking contact completely.

Asked by Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson if he discussed the Labor Party leadership with Mr Burke, Mr Rudd said he could not recall.

"In the various conversations I would have had with Mr Burke, they dealt with politics in general, state and federal," Mr Rudd told Parliament.

"I have no particular recollection of a conversation on the leadership of the Labor Party itself."

At the time the WA Government had a ban on its ministers meeting the convicted fraud and three state ministers and one federal minister were forced to resign for flaunting it.

The Opposition has alleged Mr Rudd may have used his connections with Mr Burke to shore up his planned leadership challenge against Kim Beazley.

Mr Rudd has denied this.

Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott said yesterday it would have been impossible for Mr Rudd not to know Mr Burke was "persona non grata".

"(Mr Rudd) is now someone who is not quite what it seems . . . he is a Machiavellian politician," Mr Abbott said.

Emails from November 2005 -- released on Sunday by the Prime Minister's office show Mr Rudd initially accepted an offer to attend a dinner with Mr Burke and reporters, before offering an excuse for not attending.

The emails appear to contradict Mr Rudd's previous recollection of events, when he claimed to have declined.

"When the invitation was extended by Mr Burke for the dinner you're right, initially I said yes," he said yesterday.

"This with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight was something I would not have preferred to have done.

"I did, so it was a mistake and I've accepted full responsibility for it."

In the final email Mr Rudd said he used a "diplomatic way to get out of" the dinner.

But yesterday he said he was in Perth on the night of the date.

"I ended up in Perth . . . I could have gone," Mr Rudd said.

Ummmm were you hiding under the bed Kevvy?

Quote:


Are you saying that the Lodge, with Rudd in it, is costing more than the Lodge and Kirribilli House (including security) combined when Howard used both residences on a full time basis?  I don't think so.  People are tightening their belts everywhere deepthought - because the last government created our economy on credit.  Now we have to make up the payments and if that means companies and the govt. have to downsize - they are doing it because of careful economical judgement - not because Rudd has suddenly come into power.

Howard escaped from this downturn in the nick of time.

Rudd defends tax cuts

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been forced to defend his promised $31 billion in personal income tax cuts after former reserve bank governor Bernie Fraser called for the measure to be scrapped.

Mr Rudd described the cuts as "modest".

He compared Labor's planned tax cuts to those proposed by former prime minister John Howard during the last federal election campaign.

"They are a more modest set of tax cuts," he said on Fairfax Radio Network.

Mr Rudd refused to say Mr Fraser was wrong.

"Bernie is entitled to his view.

"We framed, before the election, our commitment to working Australian families to deliver on tax cuts, we intend to honour that commitment.

"In doing that, there are other ways in which we can help take the pressure of government spending off the overall level of what's called demand in the economy."

That meant spending cuts elsewhere, he said.

"That's why we've got a razor gang in place to cut hard into unnecessary government expenditure and some places which will be politically painful."

Mr Rudd said the tax cuts would also help to stall any future calls by unions for wage increases.

"Part of the reason for tax cuts is that working families are under financial pressure.

"If you took the advice of some, which is to cancel them, then that would further fuel union demands in terms of a general wage call."

What would it do Little Kevvy Liar?

Victorian building workers challenge Rudd Government on wages

VICTORIAN building workers are set to win big pay rises as unions yesterday warned of a showdown with the Rudd Government over industrial policies.

A key building union official dismissed the Government's plea for wage restraint, saying that some employers were talking up annual pay rises of more than 5 per cent.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union assistant state secretary Bill Oliver said initial talks had started on a new pay deal.

"At the moment the construction industry in Victoria and other states is fairly buoyant," he said.

But Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday reaffirmed the Government's call for wage restraint, and the move to freeze MPs' salaries.

"We believe everybody in the community needs to work with the Government to try and defeat inflation," she said.

"What we're saying to working families is that inflation is an enemy."

However, outspoken Victorian unionist Dean Mighell accused the Government of being out of touch with workers.

"It's quite ridiculous to talk about a freeze on wages for workers struggling to pay a mortgage, struggling to meet rising fuel costs and struggling with the price of education," he said.

"Kevin Rudd's share portfolio this year will probably bring in more than any worker will earn in a year."

Even the dimwitted bully boys in the unions know you're full of testicles Kevvy

Meantime back in Loony Liebor Land Little Kevvy pretends he knows what he's doing.



Quote:

WA teachers strike for higher pay


West Australian teachers will strike for half a day next week as part of a push to become the nation's highest paid teachers.

The union has rejected a WA government offer of a 13 per cent pay rise over three years, pushing for a 20 per cent pay rise, which would make them the highest paid teachers in Australia.

State School Teachers Union of WA President Anne Gisborne said teachers would gather in Perth's Supreme Court Gardens for a stop work meeting next Thursday morning, and she would not rule out further action such as rolling strikes and day strikes.

Ms Gisborne said the strike was regrettable but Education Minister Mark McGowan and the WA government needed to respond rapidly or risk further strike action.

What will happen next Kevvy?

The pressure is running rampant in the union corridors. It's not only teachers, but all public sector workers.

You can almost hear the salivating from the unions as they press for unprecedented wage increases across the board. Where previously it was only those with initiative, know-how, gumption and *shock horror* productivity increases that allowed for wage rises, it is now just a free for all.

Way to bugger us all Kevvy

PM misses first Friday


Federal parliament will hold the first of its regular Friday sittings today, however, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will not be attending.

Mr Rudd and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin will be visiting an indigenous community in northern New South Wales to investigate housing needs.

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson declined an invitation to join the Prime Minister, saying he would prefer to stay in Canberra, to attend today's session of Parliament.

Mr Rudd introduced the five-day sitting weeks, but did not schedule a ministerial question time for Fridays. The Prime Minister and Ms Macklin will be visiting the town of Walgett.

The visit comes, after Ms Macklin announced the government will spend an additional $20 million upgrading nearly 300 houses in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

RDO Kevvy?  So soon into the parliamentary year?