Rudd feels heat as two ministers get roasting

Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett. Photo / Kenny Rodger

CANBERRA - The Australian Government has been forced into damage limitation with two ministers under attack.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett has had to admit that his A$3.7 billion ($4.7 billion) roof insulation scheme has been blamed for 86 fires on top of being linked to four deaths.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called repeatedly for Garrett to be sacked for letting the scheme continue for months despite knowing of the lethal risks linked with foil insulation.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was forced to defend Garrett yesterday, saying critics were being too hasty to blame the minister for the troubles.

Rudd said critics should wait until formal investigations were completed.

Accusing Garrett of industrial manslaughter was going a step too far, Rudd said.

"What Mr Abbott has done is go out there, step right across the line, accuse Peter of industrial manslaughter without any of these independent investigations having concluded," he told Network Ten yesterday.

"This shows extremely poor judgment."

Various independent inquiries are taking place in response to the deaths.

No nationally consistent training standards for installers existed when the programme was first implemented.

The Australian said 172 fires had been linked to insulation or reported in ceiling cavities in the past year. Garrett's office said 86 fires had been linked to the insulation programme.

Labor is also fighting a battle on another front with the revelation that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and billionaire Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes went skiing together in Colorado one month before a huge A$250 million cut to television licence fees was announced.

The pair met at the exclusive Beaver Creek in Vail, Colorado, last month, News Ltd newspapers say.

Although Conroy and Stokes confirmed the meeting, they refused to comment on what was talked about, News Ltd said.

Conroy said his conduct was entirely appropriate and Stokes said he had thoroughly enjoyed skiing with the minister.

- AAP