Fed: Beazley, Tuckey in toe-to-toe clash

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2006
Fed: Beazley, Tuckey in toe-to-toe clash

By Peter Veness

CANBERRA, Aug 10 AAP - Labor leader Kim Beazley and Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey have clashed
outside Parliament House in a fiery toe-to-toe verbal confrontation over changes to migration
law.

With their faces within centimetres of each other, Mr Beazley labelled the government
backbencher "weak", prompting Mr Tuckey to call him a "fat so and so".

The clash erupted as Mr Tuckey, a veteran former government minister nicknamed "Ironbar",
spoke to the media about the migration changes while Mr Beazley waited nearby for his
turn to talk to reporters.

"Oh here's Kim," Mr Tuckey said as he spotted Mr Beazley.

"This is not about Liberals, this is about you mob," he said, referring to Labor.

Mr Beazley, with a faint smile, first told Mr Tuckey to "take your tablets".

"Don't you insult me with tablets," Mr Tuckey shot back.

"I'm asking you why you are defying the Australian people on border protection."

With a hand on Mr Tuckey's shoulder, Mr Beazley urged the Liberal MP: "Off you go mate,
off you go, off you go mate."

But Mr Tuckey refused to move, saying he was entitled to stand outside the doors of parliament.

"Now I'm interviewing you, I'm asking you why your entire party is going to kill off
legislation that the Australian people want," Mr Tuckey said.

The clash then became more heated and the two West Australian politicians closed in
on each other, chins thrust forward.

Mr Beazley said Mr Tuckey was supporting "weak sop legislation".

"Why don't you take your weak, worthless self in there with the weak, worthless piece
of legislation," the Labor leader said, pointing towards the parliament doors.

Tuckey fired back angrily: "Don't you call me weak ... you fat so and so."

He then left Mr Beazley to make his morning address to reporters.

Mr Beazley urged government MPs opposing the bill to stay the course.

"I would urge all patriotic Liberals, Liberals with a nationalistic spirit top get
in behind a bit of strength and oppose this worthless, weak legislation."

The House of Representatives will today vote on the changes, which force illegal boat
refugees into offshore processing centres.

A small group of Liberals have voiced opposition to the changes and have said they
will vote with Labor.

Mr Beazley said the group were being bullied by some in their party.

"Following Wilson Tuckey's extreme behaviour this morning, I can only imagine the sort
of pressure those MPs and senators would feel they are coming under," he said in a statement.

"The ugly face of this bullying was on display this morning.

"It has no place in the Australian parliament."

AAP pv/sb/grc/sp

KEYWORD: MIGRATION FIGHT LEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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