Fed: More questions needed on Rein company disclosure: Nelson

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2008
Fed: More questions needed on Rein company disclosure: Nelson

MELBOURNE, April 11 AAP - Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson says more questions
need to be asked about Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's failure to disclose to parliament one
of his wife's companies.

Dr Nelson said he did not accept Mr Rudd's office's statement that there was no need
for the prime minister to disclose the company because it was dormant.

The company, Invisage, is owned by Mr Rudd's wife Therese Rein and is reported (EDS:
The Australian) to have received $160,000 of public money from the government over four
years up to last May.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne while visiting a Frankston hospital as part of his
national listening tour, Dr Nelson said Mr Rudd needed to be asked why he had not disclosed
the company and what else he had to disclose.

"He's diligent enough to disclose the fact that he's received a pen or a bottle of
Grange Hermitage wine but for some reason he's forgotten the fact that his wife still
has a company that earned $165,000 over the last four years," Dr Nelson said.

"They're the questions he needs to be asked."

Invisage was created by Ms Rein to specialise in corporate training, coaching, mentoring
and personal development.

Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard earlier said Mr Rudd was not required to declare
a company owned by his wife on parliament's registry of interests.

"When you look at the technicality of what needs to be declared, this didn't need to
be declared," she told ABC Radio.

"In any event, it is an inactive company that is in the process of being wound up.

"As I'm advised it's been inactive since 2006 and it's going to be formally deregistered
at the end of this financial year."

AAP kn/szp/ce/srp/mn

KEYWORD: REIN LEAD

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