---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- The Australian, October 5, 1999 Keating Attacks Howard and Packer SYDNEY: Former prime minister Paul Keating made a return to centre stage yesterday, delivering a scathing attack on current Prime Minister and media mogul Kelly Packer. In a rousing speech to the ALP state conference in Sydney, the former Labor leader condemned Mr. Howard's intervention in East Timor as nothing more than rank domestic opportunism. And he accused Mr. Packer of using his Nine Network to derail Labor during the recent Victorian election campaign. Accepting life membership of the ALP, Mr. Keating said Mr. Howard was faisely claiming himself to be the champion of human rights when his involvement in East Timor was in fact misfired political manoevring to win public support. "Howard claims to (be) battling in the name of principle not interest but his policy has its genesis in the lowest interests of all: rank domestic opportunism", he said. "In three years Howard has our nearest neighbours at our throats and yet be promised to make us relaxed and comfortable." Mr Keating also redicuted Mr Howard's views on a republic as "fossilised", saying Mr Howard was so out of touch "he keeps getting nugged by reality". Monarchist Mr Howard had completely failed to understand the heart of the debate, he said. "We need the republic and we need it now-- not because of what it says to others but what it says to us about ourselves," he said. Mr Keating also had few kind words for Mr Packer, saying he was not the working-class hero done good, as painted by some. "In the Victorian election a couple of weeks ago the working-class here and his network did everything to stop Labor," he said. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 13 Oct 1999 jam 09:51:51 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
