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October 23rd, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda 
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has apologised to Prime Minister Julia Gillard over comments about the government’s cuts to the baby bonus. Photo: Andrew Meares
James Massola
Online political correspondent
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s political attack on the government’s mid-year budget update has been sidetracked after he was forced to apologise to Prime Minister Julia Gillard for suggesting her government is not experienced with children.
Announcing a cut to the baby bonus in Monday’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, Treasurer Wayne Swan said the change, which will save the government $500 million over four years, would not hit new parents hard because “after the first child you’ve already bought the cot, the pram and the other items that you can use again”.
But on breakfast television on Tuesday, Mr Abbott criticised Labor’s decision to cut the baby bonus from $5000 for the first child to $3000 for the second and subsequent children.
The Opposition Leader said sometimes “one child is still in the pram when the second one comes along” and that families might “actually need to get an extra cot or a double-sized pram”.
“I think if the government was a bit more experienced in this area, they wouldn’t come out with glib lines like that.”
The comment drew a response from Cabinet minister Craig Emerson, who described the remark as “curious”.
“He was a bit indignant about personality politics over the last few weeks … but Mr Abbott’s back in there making inferences,’’ he said.
Ms Gillard called on Mr Abbott to explain what his comment meant.
“I think Mr Abbott can explain what he meant by that line. On families and pressures with children, the government is certainly working with Australian families and we understand many families are struggling to make ends meets,’’ she said.
The Opposition Leader later apologised for the comment, insisting he had not intended to offend Ms Gillard.
“If she wants to take offence of course I’m sorry about that. And if she would like me to say sorry, I’m sorry,” Mr Abbott told Fairfax radio station 3AW.
“Mate, I think a lot of people are very ready to read far too much into entirely innocent comments.
“This was as innocent as a comment can be.”
The Prime Minister also said on Tuesday she stood by her description of Mr Abbott as a “misogynist” during a blistering parliamentary speech earlier this month.
“I stand by every word of that speech and I meant every word of it. Yes, I have been a bit taken aback by the dimension of the public reaction here and around the world and the way it’s gone through social media to so many places around the world,’’ she said.
Ms Gillard’s lead over Mr Abbott among women as preferred prime minister also rose to 15 percentage points – 53 per cent to 38 per cent – up form 12 percentage points in the wake of the speech.
Source Article from http://www.afr.com/p/national/abbott_says_sorry_to_gillard_for_TwaTHp6P412NgqcGrKtLSL
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