House debates Personal Explanations

Thursday, 19 June 2008 House of Representatives

Paul Neville

Paul Neville Hinkler, National Party

3:24 pm

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins

Harry Jenkins Speaker

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Paul Neville

Paul Neville Hinkler, National Party

Yes.

Paul Neville

Paul Neville Hinkler, National Party

In stories emanating from the press today, too numerous to list, it is said in some articles that I was absent from question time. That is not the case. I left the chamber briefly to give an interview on exceptional circumstance drought relief of some concern to my electorate. The second misrepresentation was that I have a life-size bear in my office, which is not the case. I do not have a life-size bear in my office but simply a poster in the window of my office. However, I believe this arose from the wilful exaggeration of the Minister for Health and Ageing yesterday.

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer

3:25 pm

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins

Harry Jenkins Speaker

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer

Yes.

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer

In question time today the Treasurer claimed that my website contained a glowing endorsement of the budget. That is completely untrue. The Treasurer misleadingly represented a link on my website to an Australian Parliament House website which hosts the budget papers containing the words he quoted. The minister should apologise for misleading the House.

Wayne Swan

Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer

Mr Speaker, I table the member for Wentworth’s home page.