House debates

Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Personal Explanations

3:13 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

I do.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler may proceed.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

In question time today, the minister for infrastructure quoted me in saying that there was funding for the inland rail in the 2013 budget. The minister for infrastructure says that that wasn't true. In order to assist, I quote from the government's own Inland Rail Implementation Group's report, Inland rail 2015, which says:

The Deputy Prime Minister has sought advice from the Implementation Group on options for the initial $300 million in Government expenditure

It goes on to say that that was there in the 2013-14 budget, and I seek leave to table the government's own report.

Leave not granted.

Further, the Deputy Prime Minister went on to say that my statement that the inland rail doesn't go to the port of Brisbane was not correct. I quote from an article in TheCourier Mail, 14 May, by Matthew Connors, in which the Port of Brisbane chief executive Roy Cummins said:

The fact that Inland Rail stops at Acacia Ridge, and double-stacked trains will have to be unloaded there, means Brisbane residents could see millions more trucks driving through Brisbane suburbs.

I seek leave to table the article from TheCourier Mail.

Leave not granted.

3:15 pm

Photo of Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

I do, most grievously.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Photo of Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

In an answer to an earlier question, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services said that I and my Labor colleagues voted against the government's multinational tax law. This is not correct: neither I nor any of my Labor House colleagues voted against the government's multinational tax law.