Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party) 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 honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been, in the most unethical way.

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

Please proceed.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the front page of today’s Sydney Morning Herald is a story which refers to defence matters. The opening paragraph reads:

THE former Coalition defence minister Brendan Nelson has bought into the row over special forces pay by accusing the military of being reluctant to take orders from its civilian masters.

The facts of it are that on 9 February I gave a 90-minute interview to Ms Cynthia Banham from the Sydney Morning Heraldfor whom I have enormous respect—about my experiences in Defence, admirations of it, observations of it and some criticisms of it. She phoned me yesterday to check some of my quotations as being accurate, and indeed I am accurately reported in the story, although incompletely in one passage. However, the newspaper has sought deliberately to suggest in some way that I have lent defence to the indefensible way in which the Minister for Defence has handled this particular matter. I reinforce that I have a very high regard for Ms Banham but considerably less for those who editorialised on this.

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

Order! The honourable member will resume his place.