Fed: Govt to face attack on three fronts as parliament resumes

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2005
Fed: Govt to face attack on three fronts as parliament resumes

The government faces attacks on at least three fronts as parliament resumes today.

Ministers will come under questioning after former Guantanamo Bay detainee MAMDOUH
HABIB claimed Australian authorities in Pakistan stood by and watched as he was tortured.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER has denied the allegations.

The opposition will also attempt to exploit differences between Treasurer PETER COSTELLO
and Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD.

This follows Mr COSTELLO'S comment that he is sorry mentally ill woman CORNELIA RAU
had been locked up as a suspected illegal immigrant.

Mr COSTELLO is the federal government's first minister to offer his apologies while
Mr HOWARD so far has refused to do so.

Labor will also use question time in the House of Representatives, as well as Senate
estimate hearings, to ramp up its attack over the distribution of regional grant funding.

It had been targeting Local Government Minister JIM LLOYD over the Tumbi Creek affair
last week, accusing him of defrauding the Commonwealth over a $1.5 million grant.

AAP RTV so/as/psm/

KEYWORD: PARLY (CANBERRA)

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