Fed: Kelly apologises to Costello for "toff" comments

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2006
Fed: Kelly apologises to Costello for "toff" comments

CANBERRA, Aug 7 AAP - Liberal backbencher Jackie Kelly has apologised to Treasurer
Peter Costello for saying he had not been able to build empathy with voters in western
Sydney.

Ms Kelly told the ABC last night that voters in her western Sydney seat of Lindsay
often said they did not like Mr Costello's smirk.

And Mr Costello suffered from the outdated "twin set and pearls" image of Liberals
being a party for rich, toffee-nosed people, she said.

"I mean the reason I've been very, very successful out here is, I believe, is because
the Labor Party for decades before I came on the scene would say: You just don't want
to be a Liberal, because they are these twin set and pearls lot of the north shore, and
they are nasty, terribly unfeeling, uncharitable, toffy-nosed, rich people. And I broke
the mould. John Howard as well," she told the Sunday Profile program.

"Whereas I think Peter still suffers from that. They can just pigeon hole him and say:
yeah, those nasty Liberals, you don't want to be a part of, you know."

Today, Ms Kelly issued a statement apologising for the comments.

"Peter has been a great treasurer for 10 years and his ability has seen Australia go
ahead in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years," she said in the statement.

"It is not appropriate for members to cast aspersions on their colleagues and brings
no credit to anyone."

She said the Liberal Party had a strong leadership "which, well supported, will take
the coalition to victory in 2007".

Last night, Ms Kelly also said Mr Costello's years in the treasurer's job had hampered
his attempts to build empathy with voters.

Asked if people commented on his smirk, which Ms Kelly described as a "good old chuckle",
she said: "Yeah, I think that's the broad-brush impression people get."

AAP mfh/sb/apm/jlw

KEYWORD: COSTELLO KELLY

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