He added Labor was "absolutely" opposed to the proposal. "It would put John Howard in direct control of the Fairfax group and it would extend Telstra's enormous power into the media." But the Prime Minister took a different tack, claiming the rejected deal highlighted the "absurdity" of the Federal Government owning slightly more than 50.1 per cent of Telstra. "Inevitably there are limits beyond limits beyond which that company can't go, and as a result the shareholders, the ordinary shareholders, suffer," Mr Howard said at Parliament House last night. Fairfax has long been touted as a takeover target by various players including Telstra.