Fed: Labor leader warned honeymoon will soon end

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2004
Fed: Labor leader warned honeymoon will soon end

By Sharon Labi

SYDNEY, Feb 2 AAP - Opposition Leader Mark Latham was today warned to enjoy his extended
political honeymoon because the going was about to get tough.

The advice came from his political foe and federal Health Minister Tony Abbott, with
whom he has had several bruising encounters.

Mr Abbott, who has accused Mr Latham of leaving a trail of destruction after walking
out on his first wife, was later counselled by the prime minister to leave personal lives
out of politics.

"Mark Latham is now enjoying an extended political honeymoon," Mr Abbott said.

"Good luck to him, because I think the going is going to get much tougher for him when
he actually has to spell out the details of his policies."

Mr Latham is coming under increasing pressure from the government to detail how he
intends to fund his proposals.

Reports of free pre-school education for a year, or 10 hours of free childcare a week
were just speculation, Mr Latham said.

Small Business Minister Joe Hockey said the plan was impossible to implement without
raising taxes.

But Mr Latham said Labor's childcare policy would be fiscally responsible and carefully targeted.

"We'll be producing of course in the election campaign the full bottom line balance
sheet of all our commitments but the important thing is to wait and see what happens in
the May budget," he said.

"We'll be again identifying areas of government waste and mismanagement and ensuring
that all our commitments are funded in the responsible way."

Riding high on the back of a successful national conference, Mr Latham received another
boost today with former prime minister Gough Whitlam saying he was optimistic Labor would
win this year's election.

"He has shown himself more inclusive in his appeal to all views and localities in Australia
than anyone since (former Labor prime minister Bob) Hawke in Hawke's early years," Mr
Whitlam said.

The phoney campaign is already under way with Mr Latham embarking on a bus trip through
the NSW central region, north coast and Tamworth area, while Mr Howard campaigns in WA.

The sledging over public versus private schooling also continued with Mr Latham launching
an ABC series, Our Boys, filmed at the prime minister's old stomping ground, Canterbury
Boys High.

Mr Latham said if Mr Howard watched the series, he would see the great values taught
at the school, contrary to comments by the prime minister that public schools had become
too values-neutral.

The Labor leader also advocated a needs-based funding model so that all schools would
meet a national standard for provision and results.

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