Melbourne-based Mr Zigouras, 68, under direction from Labor campaign heavyweights, called the Wimmera Mail-Times with a short apology last week before abruptly hanging up.

The issue surfaced in the media late last week and stemmed from comments Mr Zigouras made to the Mail- Times in August.

At the time the Mail-Times was inquiring if Mr Zigouras was running for the seat of Mallee in the coming federal election.

He has since been endorsed as the Labor candidate.

In the latest developments, WIN Television asked Sunraysia-based independent candidate for Mallee Danny Lee if he had made the comments.

Mr Lee in a televised interview aired last Thursday denied making any such statement.

After discovering it was Mr Zigouras who made the comments, an angry Mr Lee requested an apology from WIN Television. He was unsuccessful.

Mr Zigouras claimed in his apology to the Mallee electorate that his August comments were `off the record'.

"I made the comments, which I believed, and strongly believe, were off the record," Mr Zigouras said.

"And in any event, they were made in a light-hearted manner."

A spokesman for federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd reiterated the comments were made in a light- hearted manner.

"He's acknowledged that he's in the wrong and apologised and that's the right thing to do," he said.

"There's a strength of character to admit when you're wrong and I'm certain everyone will move on from this and concentrate on the campaign."

ALP Victoria acting state secretary Kosmos Samaras said the party did not support Mr Zigouras' remarks.

"We certainly don't support comment of this nature," he said.

Member for Mallee John Forrest said he would not be distracted by Mr Zigouras' negative comments, which he described as a terrible slur on the wonderful people he represented.

"The whole region is currently facing enormous uncertainty and I won't have the anxiety they're feeling cruelly manipulated for crass political purposes," he said.

"My plan is to get the Wimmera- Mallee Pipeline finished and to ensure north-western Victoria gets its share of the appropriation for Auslink - the Western Highway and the Sturt, Calder and Henty highways.

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•Lee angered by statement

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•Editorial - page 10