House debates

Thursday, 24 May 2007

Personal Explanations

3:13 pm

Photo of Martin FergusonMartin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Martin FergusonMartin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

Most grievously.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Photo of Martin FergusonMartin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | | Hansard source

I must say that is a hard act to follow! In question time today the Minister for Transport and Regional Services sought to suggest to the House that the opposition and I, as shadow minister for transport, had not opposed the Australian Institute’s elitist $30 climate tax on domestic flights. I draw the House’s attention to page 11 of the Financial Review today, which makes it very clear that federal Labor and the tourist industry have strongly attacked the institute’s suggestion. I also make it very clear that we support the technological changes and airspace management changes that are currently in place. I welcome the government’s belated support for the opposition’s position in the House today.

3:14 pm

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the minister claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

Only now the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said that yesterday she had never referred to the Lilac City Motor Inn and criticised the organisation. I quote Julia Gillard from 2UE—

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The minister must show where he has been personally misrepresented.

Photo of Joe HockeyJoe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

I have. I have been misrepresented. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition made a claim that I had misled the parliament. I quote from John Laws’s program yesterday:

JULIA GILLARD: John I was ringing about this situation with the Lilac City Motor Inn and the Australian Workplace Agreement there ...

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On a matter of a personal explanation a member must show where he or she was personally misrepresented.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. I have already made that point very clear.

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to table my 2UE transcript which reads as follows:

John I was ringing about this situation with the Lilac City Motor Inn and the Australian Workplace Agreement there ... I think the important thing to recognise here is this is a template agreement, a standard agreement, for right across—

Leave granted.