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Australian PM rejects calls to resign
[Iran Press TV Latest] Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his treasurer have dismissed calls to resign, challenging the opposition to prove claims of power abuse. Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull has accused Rudd of abusing his position to help secure a government loan for a friend's car-dealing business and shielding Treasurer Wayne Swan from parliamentary scrutiny over his dealings with him. Rudd, meanwhile, said on Sunday that Turnbull must resign if he fails to produce an e-mail on which the claims are based on by Monday afternoon. He was pointing at a controversial e-mail published in Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper on Saturday, allegedly containing the exact request from the prime minister's office in February regarding funding for the car salesman, John Grant. Grant who is Rudd's friend, neighbor and benefactor, is said to have received special attention when he applied for a government loan called "OzCar" to help his business cope with the global credit crunch. The premier says the e-mail is forged by the opposition Liberal Party and has called on police to conduct a fraud investigation. He also issued a stark warning to the opposition leader. "If when parliament resumes in 24 hours Mr Turnbull fails to produce this e-mail, this e-mail upon which his entire case against the government is based, for authentication, he has no alternative but to stand in the parliament, apologize and to resign," he said. Turnbull has denied his party faked the e-mail, adding that the existence of the email is immaterial. "What Rudd is doing is seeking to use the matter of this email to distract the attention of the Australian people from the fact that his treasurer had unquestionably misled parliament, there is no doubt about that," Turnbull told reporters on Sunday. Analysts believe Rudd's relationship with the car dealer has created the 19-month-old government's biggest political crisis. Posted by: Fred 2009-06-22 |
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