House debates

Monday, 13 February 2006

Personal Explanations

3:27 pm

Photo of Kim BeazleyKim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Kim BeazleyKim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, I have been misrepresented.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Photo of Kim BeazleyKim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

I was misrepresented in question time by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said the position that I had adopted on Afghanistan—and he was referring to me personally, not simply to the opposition—was adopted because it was politically popular do so. We adopt the position we take on Afghanistan for two reasons, and I adopt the position I take on Afghanistan for two reasons. That is not one of them; I do not know what the state of public opinion is on it. The position was that we regarded Afghanistan as ‘terror central’, with people there who had perpetrated attacks on the United States who had not yet been dealt with. The second reason is that, back at the time when the conflict first began, the United States alliance was invoked. We agreed with the invoking of the alliance. The work has not been completed in Afghanistan; therefore we support Australian support for its continuation.