Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
10:32 am
Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Peter Slipper Fisher, Liberal Party
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
I most certainly do.
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
On 25 November, this week, in theWater Amendment Bill 2008 debate in the Senate, Minister Penny Wong seriously and, I suspect, purposely misrepresented my position on Labor’s water-purchasing strategy. Minister Wong said:
Dr Stone does not mind purchase—
of water—
as long as it is only in New South Wales. I am not sure she has told you, Senator Nash, that she is happy if we purchase but only if it is in New South Wales.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I have been on the public record continuously and loudly since Labor announced its naive and destructive water buyback scheme.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: the purposes of a personal explanation are to correct matters on the record. The honourable member is entering into debate about matters that have been debated in the House.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
I thank the minister for his assistance. I am well aware that the honourable member must show where she has been personally misrepresented and I am listening very closely to make sure that in fact the standing orders are observed. The member for Murray will show where she has been personally misrepresented.
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
I can understand the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts being concerned about my putting the record straight. As I was saying, I have been on the public record continuously and loudly since Labor announced its naive and destructive water buyback scheme, including—
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Order! The member ought to show how she personally has been misrepresented and ought not to seek to score political points in the process of doing so.
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
What I am explaining is that Minister Wong claimed—and I read out the quote—that I do ‘not mind purchase of water as long as it is only in New South Wales’.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: the purposes of a member seeking to correct the record on a matter of personal explanation is if they have been specifically misrepresented not in the context of a debate in the parliament but rather on matters that are on the public record. That is the practice in this House, and the member opposite is abusing it.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
The minister will resume his seat. Under the standing orders an honourable member is allowed to show where she has been personally misrepresented, whether that misrepresentation takes place in a speech in the parliament or in the media. If the honourable member for Murray could bring it to a conclusion, that would assist the House.
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Certainly, Mr Deputy Speaker. I need to make it quite clear that this is a serious misrepresentation, since this matter is of critical importance in my electorate, and my reputation has been smeared by the suggestion that I in fact follow Labor policy on water purchasing. That is why it has been important for me to make this personal explanation in this House.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
I think the member has shown where she has been misrepresented.
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
I have stated, and I just restate for the record, that I have continuously and loudly opposed the water buyback scheme by Labor because it destroys the market—
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker—
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
and distorts prices for irrigators—
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
I think the member has finished her personal explanation.