House debates

Wednesday, 12 September 2007

Personal Explanations

3:15 pm

Photo of Robert McClellandRobert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) 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 Robert McClellandRobert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

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

Please proceed.

Photo of Robert McClellandRobert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

In an answer earlier today the Minister for Defence quoted me in a context that suggested I favoured breaking up our Overwatch Battle Group in southern Iraq before its withdrawal. That is not the case. I refer the House to several statements that I have made indicating that is not the position of the federal opposition.

Photo of Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) 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 Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

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

Please proceed.

Photo of Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | | Hansard source

In articles published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age on 27 August David Marr claimed that I was not the co-author of three books. He is wrong. Each book comprises a series of chapters, each written by a different author. I table the chapters which I authored in each of the books. I also table a foreword to one of the books, Rights and freedoms in Australia, which refers to ‘the 25 authors’ of the book, and the acknowledgement page, in which the editors thank ‘the authors’ for their work.