Re: 2007 Federal Election - Coalition or Labor/Howard or Beazley?
http://au.news.yahoo.com/060812/2/104bo.html
Saturday August 12, 08:15 PM
Beazley gaffe confuses RBA chief for MP
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has made an embarrassing mix up - confusing the outgoing Reserve Bank governor Ian Macfarlane with the federal government minister of the same name during a news conference in Sydney.
Mr Beazley was asked his reaction to comments made by Mr Macfarlane that there was no guarantee Australia's unbroken 15 year run of low interest rates and strong economic growth could continue.
But in answering the question, Mr Beazley confused the Reserve Bank governor with the industry minister of the same name.
"Australian people with mortgages are now paying a high percentage of their income in mortgage interest payments than they ever have before," Mr Beazley replied to reporters in Sydney.
"They are hanging on, many of them, by their fingernails."
Mr Beazley then launched an attack on Mr Macfarlane.
"It's all very well for people who are well-off to go around lecturing middle Australia on their need to pay more money," Mr Beazley said.
"They are paying through the nose at the moment ... now Macfarlane can do something about that and instead of telling Australian people they ought to pay more he ought to do his job."
A spokesman for Mr Beazley later contacted AAP to say that Mr Beazley had not heard the question properly and that he had in fact meant the industry minister.
A transcript of the news conference issued by the Labor leader's office omitted the question and Mr Beazley's response.
Treasurer Peter Costello was quick to criticise Mr Beazley over the mix-up.
"The governor of the Reserve Bank is Ian Macfarlane, he is doing his job and for Mr Beazley to go out and gratuitously insult him because he does not even know his name is just another indication Mr Beazley understands precious little about economics," Mr Costello said.