Fed: Labor to target PM again over Manildra meeting
CANBERRA, Aug 13 AAP - Labor is likely to target John Howard again today, despite makinglittle headway so far in its efforts to force the prime minister to admit he misled parliament.
Labor failed yesterday to make the privileges committee examine claims Mr Howard misledparliament, as government backbenchers argued voters weren't interested in the issue.
Labor has accused Mr Howard of misleading parliament by failing to reveal he had ameeting with Liberal Party donor and owner of the Manildra Group, Dick Honan, on August1.
In answer to a series of questions over three days in September, Mr Howard denied meetingMr Honan. A Labor freedom of information request revealed the meeting took place.
Mr Howard has argued that the context of Labor's questions were about discussions hemay have had about a shipment of Brazilian ethanol, saying it was not an issue discussedwith Mr Honan.
House Speaker Neil Andrew yesterday rejected a request from Mark Latham, Labor's treasuryspokesman, that Mr Howard's answers to questions over a meeting he had with the head ofAustralia's largest ethanol producer be examined.
Mr Andrew said Labor should have brought up the issue on Monday when it tried to censurethe prime minister.
Mr Latham said it was an open and shut case and Mr Howard should admit he got it wrong.
But Liberal backbencher Andrew Southcott said the public was unconcerned and QueenslandLiberal Warren Entsch said Mr Howard had nothing to fear from Labor.
AAP rft/apm/jlwo
KEYWORD: MANILDRA DAYLEAD
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