Rare apology: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Photo: Penny Bradfield

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has made a rare apology, after declaring that Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the leader of the House of Representatives, Anthony Albanese, were ”walking around with targets on their foreheads”.

Mr Abbott made the comment across the parliamentary table at the end of a speech calling for the suspension of standing orders. In his speech, Mr Abbott said Ms Gillard ”has a new form of clinical disorder – TDD, truth deficit disorder”.

The ”targets” gibe was jumped on by Mr Albanese, who said that there was no line Mr Abbott would not cross. ”We know there are consequences behind that sort of language. We saw it in the United States last year. We should not see the sort of provocative language used by extremists from the Leader of the Opposition,” Mr Albanese said.

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In January last year in Arizona, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot, among 18 people, six of whom died. The previous year, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin had posted a map with the cross-hair symbols of a gun scope on the states that had Democrats running for re-election.

Ms Giffords was among those listed below the map. Mr Abbott sought indulgence to tell Parliament: ”I said something across the table which I should not have. I used a metaphor that I regret, and I withdraw and I apologise.”

Meanwhile, West Australian Liberal Dennis Jensen has demanded an apology from Labor senator Glenn Sterle over an alleged incident on Sunday night at Canberra airport.

Mr Jensen told the House that after words were exchanged about the Transport Workers Union (of which Senator Sterle is a former official), ”Senator Sterle then physically threatened me … basically saying he would meet me at any truck stop anywhere in Australia any time, as well as using foul language.”

Senator Sterle told The Age last night: ”The bloke is a complete idiot and he is off on another planet and he has misrepresented the truth.”

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Abbott apologises for ‘target’ remark

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has made a rare apology, after declaring that Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the leader of the House of Representatives, Anthony Albanese, were ”walking around with targets on their foreheads”.
Mr Abbott made the comment across the parliamentary table at the end of a speech calling for the suspension of standing orders. In his speech, Mr Abbott said Ms Gillard ”has a new form of clinical disorder – TDD, truth deficit disorder”.
The ”targets” gibe was jumped on by Mr Albanese, who said that there was no line Mr Abbott would not cross. ”We know there are consequences behind that sort of language. We saw it in the United States last year. We should not see the sort of provocative language used by extremists from the Leader of the Opposition,” Mr Albanese said.
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In January last year in Arizona, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot, among 18 people, six of whom died. The previous year, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin had posted a map with the cross-hair symbols of a gun scope on the states that had Democrats running for re-election.
Ms Giffords was among those listed below the map. Mr Abbott sought indulgence to tell Parliament: ”I said something across the table which I should not have. I used a metaphor that I regret, and I withdraw and I apologise.”
Meanwhile, West Australian Liberal Dennis Jensen has demanded an apology from Labor senator Glenn Sterle over an alleged incident on Sunday night at Canberra airport.
Mr Jensen told the House that after words were exchanged about the Transport Workers Union (of which Senator Sterle is a former official), ”Senator Sterle then physically threatened me … basically saying he would meet me at any truck stop anywhere in Australia any time, as well as using foul language.”
Senator Sterle told The Age last night: ”The bloke is a complete idiot and he is off on another planet and he has misrepresented the truth.”

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-apologises-for-target-…