House debates Personal Explanations

Tuesday, 27 March 2007 House of Representatives

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

3:16 pm

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

Yes, on a couple of occasions.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

Firstly, today in question time, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations suggested that I, as the local member, and others on this side of the House had not been interested in Tristar. I asked questions on 10 August 2006 and again in November 2006. I gave speeches on 9 August 2006, on 17 August 2006—

Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House

Mr Speaker, this is not a personal explanation. This is an argument.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

The member for Grayndler must show where he has been personally misrepresented.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

I am. I and others on this side have taken up the issue of Tristar workers consistently—a fact the government ignored until Alan Jones took up the case in January this year.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

The member has shown where he has been misrepresented.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

Secondly, last night in a speech in the chamber, the member for Tangney gave a speech in which he defended his proposed climate change solution of having an orbital shadecloth in the sky to protect—

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

Order! The member will come to where he claims to have been misrepresented.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

He stated:

The member for Grayndler, in similar fashion to Labor itself, would not have any idea about actually thinking through issues or thinking of new ideas ...

And that I had ‘a lack of critical or logical thinking’—

Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

I am quoting him.

Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House

Mr Speaker, this is an argument that is being developed by the member for Grayndler. He is not showing where he has been misrepresented and, plainly, he has no intention of doing so.

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

Order! Before I call the member for Grayndler, he must show where he has been personally misrepresented.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House

Mr Speaker, the member for Tangney said that I had ‘a lack of critical or logical thinking’ with regard to climate change, because I do not support a shadecloth in the sky—

David Hawker

David Hawker Speaker

The member will resume his seat!