Labor’s Anthony Albanese denies he said western Sydney residents were racist

LABOR frontbencher Anthony Albanese has dismissed claims from Mark Latham that he said all western Sydney residents were racist.

MARK Latham is now turning on former Labor pal Anthony Albanese by accusing him of “screeching” claims western Sydney residents are racist.

Mr Albanese today strongly denied the “offensive” accusation and said Mr Latham’s attempts to attract attention were becoming extreme.

Mr Latham presented no evidence to support his claims, but the Coalition could use them to reinforce its election campaign line that the ALP is seriously divided on asylum seeker policy.

The comments by Mr Latham, who took Labor to the 2004 election as party leader, included claims Mr Albanese’s remarks had been heard by unnamed witnesses.

It was claimed they were made on a night in Canberra around August 2001, when then prime minister John Howard refused to allow asylum seekers off the ship Tampa — the start of the election-winning Pacific Solution.

“I remember, back in the day, having debates with Anthony Albanese where he was screeching at me, ‘The main problem is the people of western Sydney are racists’,” Mr Latham told Sky News last night.

“He screeched that at me in front of witnesses one night in Canberra after the Tampa debate and I’m sure that’s still his opinion.”

Anthony Albanese.

Mark Latham.

He told Sky thousands of refugees came to Sydney’s west each year “compared to 20 in his electorate of Grayndler”.

Mr Albanese, opposition infrastructure spokesman fighting Greens to keep his seat, today quickly rejected the charges.

“Mr Latham’s claims are false and offensive,” Mr Albanese told news.com.au today.

“In a bid to get attention his comments are becoming more and more extreme.”

Mr Albanese told news.com.au he did not make the comments and did not think western Sydney residents were racist.

Labor sources dismissed the Latham claims with one accusing him of having a chip on his shoulder and needing to claim he has western Sydney credentials to continue his media pursuits.

The comments reopened Labor’s inner city/western Sydney divide with each bastion at times claiming to better represent Labor values.