Howard accused of strip club smear against rival

The Australian opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, whose squeaky-clean image has been dented by revelations that he visited a lap-dancing club in New York, indicated yesterday that the conservative government may have leaked the episode in an attempt to smear him.

The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, had taunted Mr Rudd during parliamentary questions about three months ago, telling him: "We know all about you and Col Allan in New York."

Allan, the Australian who is editor of the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post, invited Mr Rudd and another Labour politician, Warren Snowdon, for late-night drinks at the strip club Scores in 2003. Mr Rudd claims to have almost no memory of being in the club, because he was so drunk.

Asked whether he believed the government was trying to smear him, Mr Rudd, tipped by opinion polls to win a general election later this year, told ABC radio: "I think those questions should be directed to the government, because they alone could answer that."

John Howard, the Prime Minister, cut short a press conference when asked if the government was the source of the leak, so close to an election campaign. He said that questions about the source should be asked of the journalist who wrote the original story, Glenn Milne. "Beyond that I have nothing to say about it, I'm not going to comment on it," Mr Howard said, before walking off.

Politicians of all shades, meanwhile - perhaps fearing a similar "outing" - lined up to declare that they had visited such clubs, although mainly in their youth, and before they were married.

The Health minister, Brendan Nelson, a member of Mr Howard's cabinet, said: "I remember being at one when I was 20, in Adelaide, and I suspect that there are many Australian men, and increasing numbers of women, that have done so as well."

Mr Rudd, a committed Christian, has said that he expects to "take a belting" in the polls, but the revelations about his visit to the club - during a taxpayer-funded trip to the UN as shadow foreign minister - might help his standing. While the polls have shown strong support for him personally and his policies, he is seen as rather nerdy and bookish.

He says he has only ever been riotously drunk twice - on his 35th birthday and that night in New York.

Most Australians are unfazed by the idea of a politician getting drunk and visiting a strip club. Even a Christian lobby group yesterday expressed support for Mr Rudd.

Bob Brown, the leader of the Australian Greens party, sought to put the episode in a wider context. "Four years ago Kevin Rudd got drunk and took himself into a strip club," he said. "Four years ago John Howard, sober, took Australia into the Iraq war. I think the electorate could judge which one did the more harm."