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PM Howard condemns fake leaflets PM Howard condemns fake leaflets
(about 5 hours later)
The Australian leader has condemned party members' use of fake leaflets implying Labor backed Muslim bombers, two days before nationwide polls. Australia's prime minister has condemned members of his own party for distributing leaflets implying the Labor opposition supports terrorism.
PM John Howard, who is trailing Labor rival Kevin Rudd, said the Liberal Party had not authorised the leaflets. John Howard, who trails Labor's Kevin Rudd in opinion polls ahead of a Saturday's general election, said the Liberal Party had not authorised them.
Distributed in a key Sydney seat, they purported to be from an Islamic group which thanked Labor for its sympathy towards the Bali nightclub attackers. The flyers purported to be from an Islamic group thanking Labor for its sympathy for the Bali bombers.
Those involved faced expulsion from the Liberal Party, officials said. Two Liberal activists have been expelled from the party.
Both party leaders have been campaigning hard ahead of Saturday's election. The prime minister is seeking a fifth term in office but polls indicate Mr Rudd is maintaining a sizeable lead. The leaflets were distributed in the Sydney constituency of Lyndsay - a marginal seat in what will be a keenly fought election.
The BBC's Nick Bryant, in Sydney, says that this kind of scandal is just about the last thing Mr Howard's beleaguered party needs.
'Unjustly sentenced''Unjustly sentenced'
On Wednesday, Liberal Party members were caught distributing leaflets purporting to be from an Islamist group in the key Sydney marginal of Lindsay. Two local activists - Gary Clark and Greg Chijoff - admitted involvement and issued statements apologising for the leaflet campaign.
It was not authorised by the Liberal Party, it is no part of our campaign PM John Howard It was not immediately clear if they were the two activists who had been expelled.
In the leaflet, which carries the Labor Party logo, a fake organisation - the Islamic Australia Federation - applauds Labor for supporting Islamic extremists. Mr Clark is married to current Liberal MP for Lyndsay, Jackie Kelly. Mr Chijoff's wife is her would-be Liberal successor, Karen Chijoff.
It refers to the men imprisoned for the 2002 nightclub bomb attacks in Bali, which left more than 200 people dead. It was not authorised by the Liberal Party, it is no part of our campaign John Howard
Mr Howard said he accepted the men's assertion that neither of their wives had known of the leaflet campaign.
The BBC's Nick Bryant, in Sydney, says that this kind of scandal is just about the last thing Mr Howard's beleaguered party needs.
Party activists were caught distributing the leaflets on Wednesday.
They purported to be from the Islamic Australia Federation - a made-up organisation - and referred to the men imprisoned for the 2002 nightclub bomb attacks in Bali, which left more than 200 people dead, many of them Australians.
"We gratefully acknowledge Labor's support to forgive our Muslim brothers who have been unjustly sentenced to death for the Bali bombings," it said."We gratefully acknowledge Labor's support to forgive our Muslim brothers who have been unjustly sentenced to death for the Bali bombings," it said.
Labor supported the building of new mosques, the leaflet added, thanking the party for backing the entry of controversial cleric Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali - who likened scantily-clad women to uncovered meat. Labor supported the building of new mosques, the leaflets added, thanking the party for backing the entry of controversial cleric Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali - who likened scantily-clad women to uncovered meat.
'Unfair and dishonest''Unfair and dishonest'
Mr Howard said that this type of material should never have been distributed.Mr Howard said that this type of material should never have been distributed.
"It was not authorised by the Liberal Party, it is no part of our campaign, it was wrong and unfair and dishonest for any pamphlet to be distributed suggesting that the Labor Party was sympathetic to the Bali bombers," he said."It was not authorised by the Liberal Party, it is no part of our campaign, it was wrong and unfair and dishonest for any pamphlet to be distributed suggesting that the Labor Party was sympathetic to the Bali bombers," he said.
Mr Rudd has urged the Liberal Party to clarify who knew about the leaflets. Mr Rudd has urged the Liberals to clarify who knew about the leaflets.
"This says everything about the desperate and desperation politics on the part of the Liberal Party on the eve of the election," he told Australian radio."This says everything about the desperate and desperation politics on the part of the Liberal Party on the eve of the election," he told Australian radio.
The issue has been referred to the Australian Electoral Commission and Labor has asked it to investigate whether the group acted illegally by appealing to anti-Muslim sentiment. The issue has been referred to the Australian Electoral Commission, and Labor has asked it to investigate whether the authors acted illegally by appealing to anti-Muslim sentiment.
President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Ikebal Patel told ABC radio that while election campaigning to date had been "fairly good" on the issue of migration, the use of the flyers was "quite despicable". The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ikebal Patel, told ABC radio that while election campaigning to date had been "fairly good" on the issue of migration, the use of the flyers was "quite despicable".
Two unidentified members of the Liberal Party face disciplinary action and volunteers who distributed the leaflets have been removed from campaign teams.