Aussie Labor Party wants smuggling probe

CANBERRA, Australia, March 18 (UPI) -- Australia's opposition Labor Party wants the prime minister to investigate a political ally who allegedly smuggled cash into Iraq for an oil company.

Ross Lightfoot, a federal senator, is accused by two journalists of secreting $25,300 to a Kurdish hospital on behalf of Woodside Petroleum, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Friday.

Labor's Chris Evans says it is an embarrassing situation for the federal government and that Prime Minister John Howard must act.

"The prime minister's got to deal with his behavior," he said. "It's not good enough for the prime minister to say he's satisfied. No one else in Australia is satisfied."