Fed: PM says petrol price is biggest gripe among Australians

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2001
Fed: PM says petrol price is biggest gripe among Australians

SYDNEY, Feb 18 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today conceded the high price of petrol
was the biggest gripe among Australian voters.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, in his victory speech last night, issued a strong
warning to Mr Howard that federal issues had taken a toll on the Queensland Coalition
in yesterday's poll.

"I say to the prime minister if you have any hopes of re-election or at least relying
on Queensland ... you have to give Queenslanders a fair go when it comes to petrol prices,"

Mr Beattie said.

"You should change the petrol pricing policy ... because of what it means to small
business and what it means to battling families."

Mr Howard said he expected such remarks from Mr Beattie but the Labor Party was being
hypocritical.

"I do understand that people don't like the high price of petrol," Mr Howard told reporters.

" ... I do understand that it's probably the biggest gripe that people have at the present time."

But he said current prices were in most part caused by high world oil prices.

"Mr Beazley hasn't offered to cut the excise if he becomes PM, I don't see Mr Beattie
offering up any of the burgeoning revenues he's going to get for Queensland under the
GST, so there's a certain degree of hypocrisy in the chest beating that goes on," Mr Howard
said.

AAP sal/cdh/bwl

KEYWORD: PETROL HOWARD

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