Rudd Might Oppose Death Penalty

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd today chastised his own foreign affairs spokesman, describing a speech by Robert McClelland in which he signals Labor's disaproval of capital punishment for the Bali bombers as "insensitive".

McClelland had been trying to make the point that Australia's clemency pleas for its own citizens on death-row can be dismissed as hypocritical by other nations, who might point to the comments of Australia's own prime minister in support of the execution of the Bali bombers. He today apologised for his hurtful comments, dismissing the argument as "absurd" and apologising to the prime minister for any injury to his feelings.

Kevin Rudd attempted to hose down the issue by declaring that "whilst the prime minister and I agree on a lot of things, this is one issue where I must say that we are in particular harmony and resounding agreement that we are absolutely opposed to the death penalty, but believe that it is wrong not to kill terrorists."

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer called a press conference immediately following Mr Rudd's remarks, accusing the Opposition Leader of being a "clever politician".

"Kevin Rudd is a clever politician, and a clever opposition leader. You may recall that I was once an opposition leader, but you never saw me being clever. I have never been a clever politician. I have never been a clever Foreign Affairs Minister. In fact I can categorically declare that I have never been very clever at all."