SA: Minister in Tuckey row criticises federal MPs

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SA: Minister in Tuckey row criticises federal MPs

ADELAIDE, Aug 20 AAP - The South Australian minister who was pressed by Howard governmentminister Wilson Tuckey to drop a traffic fine against his son, today criticised the conductof federal MPs.

Mr Tuckey, who is territories and regional services minister, has admitted using hisministerial letterhead in correspondence trying to get his son Michael off a traffic fine.

Mr Tuckey wrote to South Australian Police Minister Patrick Conlon three times, askingthat he reconsider the $193 traffic fine given to his son last year for failing to keepa log book.

Labor claims the act was clearly in breach of the prime minister's ministerial codeof conduct and has demanded Prime Minister John Howard sack Mr Tuckey.

Mr Conlon said he did not believe members of the SA parliament would have acted inthe way Mr Tuckey did in sending the letters.

"It's not something I would do, it's not something any of my colleagues would do,"

the Labor minister told ABC radio.

"At the end of the day it's a matter for the standards that are set in Canberra, notthe standards that are set in South Australia.

"What I can say is I think the standards set in South Australia have been of the highest order.

"I'm not sure about those in Canberra."

In a letter of reply written to Mr Tuckey last year, Mr Conlon said it would have beenimproper for him to direct an outcome in the case, as SA law did not allow the policeminister to play a role in deciding who was prosecuted.

AAP scl/sp/maur/bwl

KEYWORD: TUCKEY CONLON