Fed: Labor frontbenchers rally around Kernot

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2001
Fed: Labor frontbenchers rally around Kernot

CANBERRA, April 15 AAP - Labor frontbenchers today rallied around colleague Cheryl
Kernot over her comments last week about the major parties' fight to attract the youth
vote.

Ms Kernot angered some Labor insiders by saying the new Australian Democrats leadership
duo of Natasha Stott Despoja and Aden Ridgeway was the dream team for young voters.

She also described major party leaders as old suits, interpreted by some as an attack
on Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and deputy Simon Crean.

But frontbench colleagues Wayne Swan and Nick Bolkus said the reaction was exaggerated
and Ms Kernot had never meant to criticise the party leadership.

Mr Swan, Labor's family and community affairs spokesman, said Labor did need to work
harder to win over young voters.

"I think that's a storm in a teacup," he told the Nine Network.

"The fact is that in the last week of parliament ... Cheryl and I were raising issues
to do with youth, in youth week, the impact of the government's policies on youth allowance,
the job network and so on.

"We've been out there doing that and we do have a problem communicating with younger
people and we have to work at that."

Senator Bolkus said he did not agree with Ms Kernot that the environment was a critical
issue in wooing young voters.

But he said frontbenchers had a wide brief to speak out on issues not necessarily within
their own portfolios and Ms Kernot had every right to raise an issue for public debate.

"We've got to acknowledge that although we in Canberra might talk one language and
send out one message it's not necessarily true that the rest of Australia is connected
to it," he told Channel 10.

"I think that what Cheryl was trying to say was that the language is sometimes alienating."

AAP kmh/cdh/sb

KEYWORD: KERNOT NIGHTLEAD

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.