Fed: Howard continues to deny he lied to public

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Fed: Howard continues to deny he lied to public

CANBERRA, Feb 15 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard is continuing to deny he was toldreports that refugees threw their children into the ocean were wrong.

Mr Howard said he did not lie to the Australian people, and that it was he who revealedthe full details of the issue.

The government has been under fire since Mr Howard tabled two reports which found thedefence department knew within two days of the claims first being made that they wereuntrue.

Even Mr Howard's own department knew the story was wrong, but the report found theinformation was not passed on to the PM.

Mr Howard said he stood by the report's findings.

"I didn't lie to the Australian people about this, I after all was the bloke who commissionedthe report," he said.

"I tabled that report yesterday, warts and all, and I'm quite prepared to answer questionsabout it."

Mr Howard also backed former defence minister Peter Reith, saying Labor was only targetinghim because of his role in waterfront reform.

Labor is continuing to focus on Mr Howard and Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock.

Opposition Leader Simon Crean labelled the two the duplicitous duo, saying it beggeredbelief that Mr Howard's own department did not tell him the story was not true.

"It's either incompetence or dishonesty," he said.

"Either way, the government's credibility is in tatters."

AAP sw/jmd/sbe

KEYWORD: BOAT DAYLEAD