Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
3:12 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Yes, by the Prime Minister just then.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Two points: firstly, I provided the Prime Minister with the information that I had; secondly, the Office of Workplace Services contacted my office asking me to provide them with contact details of Mr Denning. I said to the Office of Workplace Services through my office that I would inform Mr Denning of the contact officer for the Office of Workplace Services and that it would be a matter for Mr Denning to contact them if he so chose.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! Members on my right! The member for Perth has the call!
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Blair is warned too! I call the member for Perth.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
I do not hand out personal details of people without their permission. And I do not mislead the House, unlike you!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under the standing orders, the member for Perth has made an imputation of bad faith against the Prime Minister and it should be withdrawn.
David Hawker Speaker
I did not catch that, but if the member for Perth has made such a comment it would help the House if he withdrew that last statement.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Speaker, I used exactly the same expression in respect of the Prime Minister that he used in respect of me.
David Hawker Speaker
Did the member for Perth say that the Prime Minister had misled the House?
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
I said exactly what the Prime Minister said in respect of me. I did not use the word deliberately and I think the Prime Minister is happy to leave it there.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
He clearly accused the Prime Minister of misleading the House in a way which was offensive as well as contrary to the forms of the parliament, and he should withdraw it.
Bob McMullan Fraser, Australian Labor Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on two points of order with regard to the matter which the Leader of the House has raised. Firstly, all House of Representatives practice and the standing orders make it clear that you are not entitled to say someone deliberately misled, but people regularly say in this House that people have misled the House and no-one has ever been required to withdraw it. It would be a dangerous precedent if you were to say so. Secondly, given the exchange between the Prime Minister and the member for Perth, can I draw your attention to page 164 of House of Representatives Practice, which says the Speaker:
… should give the same reprimand for the same offence whether the Member is of the Government or the Opposition.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Fraser will resume his seat; he is reflecting on the chair. The chair has not ruled. If the member for Perth did not use the word deliberately—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
I did not use the word deliberately.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
3:17 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
On two occasions in question time today.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
In question time today, the Minister for Health and Ageing claimed that I am anti the private sector.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! Members on my right! The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business has just begun to give a personal explanation. I have yet to hear what it is.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Mackellar will resume her seat and I will hear the Manager of Opposition Business and rule if she is not giving a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Thank you, Mr Speaker. In question time today the minister for health claimed that I am anti the private health sector. This claim is absurd, and I seek leave to table my Earle Page memorial lecture which details my plans to use private health—
David Hawker Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume her seat.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business has indicated her intention to debate something that took place in question time. That is totally against the standing orders and is not a proper use of a personal explanation. The standing orders are very clear on the point.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business is well aware that, if she seeks to make a personal explanation, she must show where she personally has been misrepresented.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I am dealing with matters which were over the dispatch box and directly about the member for Lalor. How could they not be matters that are about me? I have dealt with the first of them, and I have asked for leave to table this speech, which details my plans to use private sector capacity for public needs.
Leave granted.
Thank you. On the second occasion, the minister for health in question time today accused me of misleading people about the government’s plans to privatise Medicare. To answer this claim, I seek leave to table a press release from the federal member for O’Connor, Mr Wilson Tuckey, headed ‘Privatise Medicare and public hospitals’, in which he outlines the government’s plans to privatise Medicare.
Leave granted.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
3:20 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
I do.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
It was by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations during question time today. In response to a question about the Cowra abattoir, the minister suggested that I had quoted selectively from the administrator’s report by referring to what I described as ‘questionable transfers of money’. I refer to page 12 of the administrator’s report in respect of those matters. The administrator says that ‘our inquiry as to the nature of the loan accounts continue’, and on page 16 the report says:
We will lodge a report with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, together with our further comments, detailing the results of our investigations together with possible offences, which may have been committed by company officers.
I think that justifies the use of the word ‘questionable’.