Robert McClelland Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
3:20 am
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Robert McClelland Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Yes.
Robert McClelland Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Earlier in question time, the Minister for Foreign Affairs suggested that I advocated or favoured a downgrade in the influence of the United States in our region. That is not the case. Insofar as he sought to refer to a newspaper article, from which he did not accurately quote, I seek leave to table my statement in response to that article. I can indicate for the benefit of the House that I am engaged in ongoing correspondence with that newspaper regarding their professionalism and propriety in the way they published that material.
Leave granted.
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
3:20 pm
I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
David Hawker Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Yes, on two occasions by the Treasurer during question time.
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
During question time the Treasurer said that the Labor Party would not have a tax policy for the next election. We will; I have said so. I seek leave to table those remarks.
Secondly, today in question time the Treasurer claimed, as he has on previous occasions, that I said the $600 family tax benefit supplement had no monetary value. This is incorrect. In the run-up to the 2004 election, I said that the $600 family tax benefit supplement would be clawed back from families. I seek leave to table the government’s legislation and memorandum for the family assistance legislation amendment which was introduced after the 2004 election.
Leave not granted.
The purpose of the legislation was to restore indexation.
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The member must show where has been personally misrepresented.
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
I have been misrepresented because they introduced legislation after the election to restore the value of the payment which they were stripping away.
David Hawker Speaker
The member has made his point. The member sought leave to table another statement. Was leave granted for the earlier one?
Peter McGauran Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House
No.