Growing scandal claims Australian cabinet minister

Sydney, March 3: Attacks by Australia's conservative government against its resurgent opposition over links to a corrupt state leader were turned on their head today when a cabinet minister quit amid the growing scandal.

In a blow to Prime Minister John Howard as he faces an election later this year, Human Services Minister Senator Ian Campbell quit Howard's cabinet after it was revealed he met corrupt former Labor politician Brian Burke last year.

Campbell said he had held a meeting in his office in the Western Australia state capital Perth last June to discuss the building of a cultural centre for indigenous people. Convicted criminal Burke, now a political lobbyist, attended the meeting.

Campbell said it was better for the government's chances of re-election later this year if he stood aside.

''I have in the last hour tendered my resignation to the prime minister,'' Campbell told reporters.

Howard's government has ratcheted up attacks on new centre-left opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd in the past week over three meetings he had with Burke in 2005 before he became Labor leader.

Treasurer Peter Costello launched volleys of criticism in parliament against Rudd for meeting a man he said was a convicted criminal and corrupt influence peddlar.

Costello said anyone who dealt with Burke was ''morally and politically compromised''. Another senior government member, Tony Abbott, likened dealing with Burke to ''supping with the devil''.

Rudd holds a strong lead in opinion polls and is mounting the most serious challenge Howard has faced during his 11 years in power.

Burke's lingering influence has taken a devastating toll on the Western Australian state Labor government, with three ministers either sacked or resigning after a corruption inquiry uncovered links between them and convicted fraudster Burke.

Howard described Campbell's meeting as an error of judgment, even though it was within his portfolio duties as the then environment minister.

''Senator Campbell was not seeking any favour, support, preferment or patronage from Mr Burke,'' Howard told reporters.

''I think it's fair to say that Senator Campbell has been a very good minister and he has paid a very high price for that lack of judgment,'' he said.

Burke was premier of Western Australia state from 1983 until he resigned in 1988, his leadership under a cloud over close links with disgraced Australian businessmen Allan Bond and Laurie Connell in the so-called ''WA Inc.'' scandal.

He went on to become Australia's ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See but was forced to resign from that post as well. He was later jailed on a range of corruption charges.

Reuters