House debates Personal Explanations

Wednesday, 14 June 2006 House of Representatives

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

3:38 pm

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

Twice, Mr Speaker.

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

I was misrepresented once by the Treasurer and once by the Leader of the House. The Treasurer in an answer to a question suggested that I and the opposition—but I specifically—intended to impose French and German industrial legislation on this country. That is simply a lie. The second misrepresentation came from the Leader of the House, in which he suggested that I was soft on drugs. Mr Speaker, I am not; I am for solutions. It would be as silly for me to say that he was soft on drugs because he supports the free needle program.

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

He distributes free needles, Abbott does.

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

That is to keep people alive. That is our intention too.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

The Leader of the Opposition has made it clear where he has been misrepresented.