Candidates in a twist on Rudd gag order

Jane Emerick
The region’s Labor candidates yesterday denied they were under a gag order from leader Kevin Rudd but appeared to contradict each other on the issues they were allowed to discuss on behalf of the party.
Candidate for Corio Richard Marles said he was the spokesperson for the “party’s views” in his electorate.
But Corangamite candidate Darren Cheeseman said “the leader” had decided to make comments on behalf of the party for “significant issues”.
A Melbourne newspaper yesterday reported that Mr Rudd had ordered a gag on ALP candidates. The report followed political fallout surrounding comments from the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson against a death penalty for the Bali bombers.
Mr Cheeseman did not call Mr Rudd’s order a gag, instead describing it as a response to a “need for consistency” on national issues.
“For example, on the death penalty the leader has taken the responsibility for responding,” Mr Cheeseman said.
He said he would keep speaking about “local” issues but leave comments on “significant” policy to Mr Rudd.
Mr Marles denied Mr Rudd had gagged candidates and was happy to speak about the death penalty facing the Bali bombers in Indonesia.
Mr Marles said he shared the party’s policy against the death penalty.
But he believed Australia had higher priorities for asking other governments to commute execution orders “than arguing on behalf of terrorists”.
“Like Kevin Rudd, I’d like to see the Bali bombers rot in jail,” he said.
“But I speak on behalf of the Labor party in the Corio electorate.”
Federal Liberal Member for Corangamite Stewart McArthur said the Labor candidates were inconsistent with each other. He wondered where the gag order would stop or start.
“Local candidates will have to refer to their leader’s office to find out what to say,” he said.
“In effect they will be reading from a script.”