Rudd says there was no Bush 'G20' gaffe

SYDNEY, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says U.S. President George Bush never asked him what the "G20" was, denying a published report to the contrary.

Rudd defended himself Monday against Australian opponents and Bush administration officials who say he leaked the contents of an Oct. 10 telephone conversation with the U.S. president in which Bush allegedly revealed he didn't know "G20" referred to an upcoming gathering of 20 nations to address the global financial crisis, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

An Oct. 25 story by The Australian newspaper asserted Rudd was "stunned" when Bush allegedly asked him, "What's the G20?" The editor of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, was a dinner guest at Rudd's home that night, the Morning Herald said.

The episode has brought demands from opposition Liberal Party members that Rudd apologize to Bush, but the prime minister says the alleged exchange never happened.

"The purpose of my call was explicitly to discuss the role of the G20 in dealing with the global financial crisis and … the president did not make those remarks," Rudd told reporters.