Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to remarks by Senator Abetz and the member for Flinders alleging that I improperly disclosed market-sensitive information favouring private groups prior to my decision on 5 January to approve six and withhold three Gunns modules. I want to put on the record that my action in advising some stakeholders confidentially of decisions I made in relation to the Gunns pulp mill in the hour before I announced it publicly was in no way improper. I want to observe that it is the common practice of good governments who value transparency in decision making and effective communication with the public to directly and confidentially inform key stakeholders of imminent government decisions in which they have a particular interest, and—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am sure you are going to bring the minister to a close, because he only needs to point out where he has been misrepresented, not debate the matter.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that the minister is coming to a close.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to oblige the Manager of Opposition Business, and I note that there was no significant drop in the price of Gunns shares prior to the public announcement of my decision on 5 January this year.

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the front page of today’s Townsville Bulletin, the editor, Peter Gleeson, wrote a fronter about the Townsville cruise ship terminal, in which he said:

The LNP, the city council and Federal Liberal MP Peter Lindsay oppose the development and cruise ship terminal.

I have never opposed the cruise ship terminal. It is wrong. In fact, I have gone further and sought Defence money for that terminal.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the minister claim to have been misrepresented?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday there were a number of media reports, all of them inaccurate and many of them internally inconsistent, that alleged details of discussions I had allegedly had with various people on the proposed M4 East motorway. Depending upon the report, these people included the former New South Wales ALP Branch General Secretary Karl Bitar, the former New South Wales Minister for Roads Eric Roozendaal and the former New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma. The reports alleged that, based upon opinion polling, I had not supported the extension of the M4 motorway and associated roads. None of these reports provided any evidence or sources to corroborate these allegations. These claims are not true. The government made a commitment of $300 million to progress the M4 East, a commitment that I was consulted on by the then shadow minister for transport and now Minister for Resources and Energy. This commitment has been fulfilled by the inclusion of this amount in the draft Memorandum of Understanding for the Nation-Building Program, which has been presented to the New South Wales government for agreement. Any further commitment from the Commonwealth will be subject to the independent advice of Infrastructure Australia.