That Howard ‘courage’

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Tuesday called the Labor opposition leader Kevin Rudd “gutless” over Labor’s position on Iraq.

Challenged by Mr Rudd to a national televised debate on the Iraq war, Mr Howard retorted that Parliament was the appropriate forum for such a debate, and labelled Rudd’s challenge as a “stunt” by an evasive and desperate Opposition leader.

Then the following day, yesterday, Mr Rudd seemed to rise to the challenge of a parliamentary debate on Iraq, only to be silenced by a Government ‘gag motion’, moved by Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson (see proof Hansard pdf):

Mr RUDD (Griffith—Leader of the Opposition) (9.00 am)—I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Prime Minister from immediately coming into the House and debating the Leader of the Opposition for a period of no less than one hour on Australia’s involvement in the war in Iraq including:

(a) the Prime Minister’s false basis for Australia’s decision to go to war in Iraq;

(b) the Prime Minister’s misuse of intelligence material to justify his decision to send Australian service personnel into active duty in Iraq;

(c) the Prime Minister’s failure to articulate a clear cut mission statement for Australia’s continued participation in the war in Iraq;

(d) the Prime Minister’s failure to develop a clear cut exit strategy from the war based on that mission statement;

(e) the Prime Minister’s refusal to explain to the Parliament and the people of Australia his strategy for winning the Iraq war;

(f) the Prime Minister’s attack on the alternate administration of the United States of America and majority party in the United States Congress as Al Qaeda’s party of choice; and

(g) the Prime Minister’s lack of guts and courage in refusing to accept the Leader of the Opposition’s challenge to a nationally televised debate on Labor’s plan to bring our troops home and the Prime Minister’s plan to leave our troops in Iraq indefinitely.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that parliament is the forum for debate. Come on down—

Mr BILLSON (Dunkley—Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence) (9.02 am)—I move: That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.

The House divided. [9.06 am]

(The Speaker—Hon. David Hawker)

Ayes………… 79

Noes………… 58

Majority……… 21

Yep, there’s our big bwave Pwime Minister – dodging debate and hiding behind his Government’s superior numbers.

Makes you feel proud, don’t it?

Seriously, whatever can he be so afraid of?