Fed: Labor to target Gov't on ethanol, health
CANBERRA, Aug 17 AAP - Labor will again target Prime Minister John Howard's links toethanol king Dick Honan when federal parliament resumes in Canberra tomorrow.
Mr Howard today denied his government had done any special favours for ethanol producerManildra in exchange for donations to the Liberal Party.
Labor returned a $50,000 donation from Mr Honan's company Manildra last week, sayinghe tried to buy influence on party policy during a threatening phone call.
The opposition has accused Mr Howard of misleading parliament over a meeting with MrHonan last year, before the government announced changes to ethanol excise arrangements.
Mr Howard will be in China when MPs and senators return, focusing on the North Koreacrisis and trade links with Australia.
But Labor will fix its gaze closer to home, pressuring the government over health carearrangements between the states and the commonwealth, as well as Mr Howard's links toMr Honan.
Mr Howard said the government had agreed to a 10 per cent cap on ethanol in petrol,despite lobbying from Manildra, and also refused their call to make a 10 per cent mixof the fuel compulsory.
"It rather puts these claims of favouritism for Mr Honan into fairly sharp relief," he said.
Federal Labor will also join state premiers and chief ministers in calling for thefederal Government to boost its $42 billion contribution to the federal health care package.
State premiers have written to Mr Howard demanding a rethink of health priorities totry to break the deadlock over public hospital funding.
They said the health care system was facing enormous challenges from a rising population,a decline in bulk billing and increasing costs.
But Mr Howard said if the states were serious about health, they would match the offerinstead of continuing to ask for more money.
AAP rft/cjm/de
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