Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:21 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Grievously, by the Prime Minister.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
The Prime Minister in his remarks implied that somehow or other I did not oppose his commitment of Australian forces to the war in Iraq—
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Howard interjecting
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
You did. I absolutely opposed it at the time. All you need to do is take a look at the speeches. You got it wrong. You got it wrong then, and you misled all of us at the time.
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The leader has made his point.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
3:22 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable Prime Minister claim to have been misrepresented?
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Yes, by the Leader of the Opposition in what he has just said.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Speaker, I quoted the words of the Leader of the Opposition in an article in the Financial Review of 7 February 2003. I quoted this, and I repeat it: ‘No foreign office or defence department official anywhere on the globe entertains the view that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction.’ The Leader of the Opposition was a blatant opportunistic fence-sitter on this issue, and he has now been caught out.
David Hawker Speaker
The Prime Minister will resume his seat. He has made his point.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:23 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
In asking whether the Leader of the Opposition claims to have been misrepresented—
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I certainly have, Mr Speaker.
David Hawker Speaker
I will hear him, but we are not going to have a debate.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I have been misrepresented yet again by the Prime Minister.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, he implies again that I did not oppose that war. I did. I opposed it absolutely. Irrespective of whether or not you believe that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it was a stupid decision by him and—
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable Manager of Opposition Business claim to have been misrepresented?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Yes, I do.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
In question time today, the Treasurer stated that I did not support the Victoria Police in their actions against G20 protesters. This is wholly untrue. What I do not support is the Treasurer coming into this place and using the police as a tool for his cheap political stunts.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing
Mr Pyne interjecting
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
3:24 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Yes, I do, on two counts.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
One count was the Prime Minister suggesting that somehow I did not support clean coal technology. If he cares to check my website, he will see at least 73 speeches and press releases referring to support for clean coal technology, including me as the major speaker at the clean coal conference, where the government did not bother to have a representative.
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The member has made his point. The member will come to his second point.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
The second point is that the Prime Minister also said I would not be present in Hunter seats. I indeed have visited the electorate of Charlton with the member for Charlton on a number of occasions. On 24 September I addressed a forum in the electorate of Shortland at Swansea RSL. On 25 September I addressed a breakfast with the member for Newcastle, Sharon Grierson, and then we attended the CSIRO centre to talk with the CSIRO centre about solar technology and clean coal technologies. I also did a number of media events over that two-day visit.
David Hawker Speaker
The member has made his point. The member will resume his seat.