Fed: Reith gives himself fair chance in election

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2001
Fed: Reith gives himself fair chance in election

Defence Minister PETER REITH has given himself a fair chance of holding his Melbourne
electorate despite claims by Labor that it can snatch it away.

Mr REITH says his seat of Flinders, which he holds with a slender margin of 3.7 per
cent, has been held by Labor on only three occasions since Federation.

With the 10 per cent swing against the Coalition in the Ryan by-election in Brisbane,
Labor has tipped Flinders as a likely scalp at the next election.

Labor has pointed to last year's Telecard affair, in which a phone card in Mr REITH'S
name was improperly used to ring up a $50,000 bill, as a factor in its favour.

Mr REITH says his opponent is a member of the Maritime Union of Australia, who is not
a known personality in the electorate.

Mr REITH also says the the government deserves to be returned, and he says Labor has
not done enough to show they are a credible alternative.

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KEYWORD: REITH (CANBERRA)

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