Barry Haase Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport
3:39 pm
Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Barry Haase Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport
Yes, mischievously, Mr Speaker.
Barry Haase Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport
During an address to this House prior to question time, the member for Solomon quoted me as suggesting that the population of Indigenous communities be ‘centralised’. It is not a term I used nor is it a philosophy I believe in. In a previous statement in this House, I simply raised the issue of questioning the sustainability of some communities.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
3:40 pm
Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
In question time, the minister for the environment claimed that I had only approved Community Water Grants in coalition electorates. That is not true. They were approved across the country. The Prime Minister’s electorate of Griffith received 29—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Mr Speaker, I rise in a point of. That was not claimed at all—they were too busy interjecting to listen to the minister for the environment—so: fixed!
Harry Jenkins Speaker
The chair is in the difficult position where I cannot arbitrate on what was actually said. The member must indicate where he thinks he was misrepresented and once having done that he cannot debate it.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
As I was saying, the water grants were approved in electorates across the country, including the Prime Minister’s—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Mr Albanese interjecting
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
I am just stating the fact. I have stated how I believe I was misrepresented—
Harry Jenkins Speaker
It might clarify this issue if I invite the Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts to indicate whether that was part of his answer.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Mr Speaker, ‘coalition electorates’ was not mentioned in the course of my answer.
Chris Pearce Aston, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under the standing orders, a member has the right to claim to have been personally misrepresented, and the member has the right to be heard and to lay that claim before the House. I would put to you, Mr Speaker, that that is simply what the member for Wentworth is attempting to do but is being continually interrupted by the government.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! I am actually applying standing order 271, which is to do with common sense, because I cannot be an arbitrator of what I actually thought was said, but I did not think that the comment was made about coalition seats, which seemed to be the reaction to the member’s attempt to make the personal explanation, and if the basis of the personal explanation was in fact something that was not contained in the answer, then I thought that this was the best way of handling it because it would appear, at this stage, that—unless there is other information that muddies the waters—the point that the member for Wentworth was attempting to have clarified has been clarified.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
Then, Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the schedule of all of the Community Water Grants from late last year which shows all of the electorates in which they are awarded, including more in Griffith and Kingsford Smith than in my seat.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
Mr Turnbull interjecting
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
Mr Turnbull interjecting
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The member will resume his seat. And it might assist the chair if the Leader of the House tries to get the call.