SA: Democrats leadership spill too embarrassing: Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2003
SA: Democrats leadership spill too embarrassing: Downer

Foreign Affairs Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says a leadership spill by the Australian
Democrats could have been an embarrassment.

Mr DOWNER says only two of the seven Democrat senators, JOHN CHERRY and ANDREW MURRAY,
have not yet been leader of their party.

Democrat senators today declared their support for embattled leader ANDREW BARTLETT.

Senator BARTLETT is on leave after he drunkenly manhandled Liberal senator JEANNIE
FERRIS and verbally abused her a week ago.

Mr DOWNER also warns that the Democrats face a voter backlash at the next election
because of left-wing policies.

Mr DOWNER says the Democrats' real problems is not the one facing Senator BARTLETT,
but the fact that they have become a party of the left rather than a centre party.

AAP RTV la/wz/lma

KEYWORD: DEMOCRATS DOWNER (ADELAIDE)

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