Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps more lightly than my immediately preceding remarks, I wish to raise a grievous misrepresentation that was published in today’s Australian by DD McNicoll, who refers to me as a supporter of the Hawthorn Football Club and as having posted in my office window—and being first off the mark—a jumper hailing the success of the Tassie Hawks flying high ahead of their big win on the weekend. While it is impossible not to admire the Hawthorn Football Club’s skills and efforts—and, of course, it does have a sponsorship arrangement with my state of Tasmania—anybody who knows me in this House would know that I am, tragically, a St Kilda supporter. So you would understand how bruised I feel after the events of Saturday night and this terrible misrepresentation.

Might I entirely absolve DD McNicoll from any fault in relation to this. I have a tribally-divided office—a rat in the ranks, as it were. One of my staff is a supporter of Hawthorn and displayed the jumper in my office and conveyed that information to Mr McNicoll. Tested as I have been by this circumstance, and provoked as I have been, I have not dismissed that staff member. He remains and I wish him well for the finals.

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