House debates
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
Personal Explanations
3:15 pm
Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?
Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Yes.
Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The Leader of the Opposition may proceed.
Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Today, in question time, I asked the Prime Minister if he would support Labor's policy for 10 days of domestic and family violence leave. He used the second half of his answer to deliver an angry rant about the CFMEU and make allegations about my visit to the Oaky mine. As I have already said in this House about that very issue, I do not condone unlawful or disrespectful behaviour, no matter who does it. I was shocked to read those reports and the language is disgusting. But I think it is a sign of how low this Prime Minister has sunk that he uses a question about helping survivors of family violence as a smokescreen for a personal attack and a political attack on me and the unions.
Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I will say to the Leader of the Opposition that everything he said was completely in order until the last part. He had gone beyond pointing out how he had been misrepresented. I pointed out before that he does have extra tolerance as Leader of the Opposition.