Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) 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 Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

Please proceed.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister referred to an interview of mine with Mr Laurie Oakes on 27 July 2008 as being inconsistent with the remarks I made on Saturday at the Liberal Party’s federal council. In the course of that interview, I said emissions trading is not ‘an end in itself’:

The objective is to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. There are many ways you can do it … different approaches will be taken by different countries … The ETS is a means to an end. It is not an end in itself.

I also said:

… the Emissions Trading Scheme that is on offer from Labor and the way Labor is constructing it—

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition must go to where he has been misrepresented.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I was misrepresented by the Prime Minister and I am demonstrating that what I have said is consistent with what I said on Saturday.

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

The Leader of the Opposition must go to the misrepresentation.

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

Mr Albanese interjecting

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The misrepresentation was from the Prime Minister.

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

Mr Albanese interjecting

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat and the Leader of the Opposition will go to the misrepresentation.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the answer to question No. 1 today the Prime Minister quoted from an interview of mine with Laurie Oakes on 27 July last year and said that it was inconsistent—

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

Mr Speaker—

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

Mr Pyne interjecting

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

The member for Sturt will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

The member for Sturt then left the chamber.

Alby Schultz (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Schultz interjecting

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

Order! The member for Hume is warned! I find that quite extraordinary.

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

Mr Speaker, you will not be surprised that my point of order goes to the way in which personal explanations can be given in this House. The Leader of the Opposition must come immediately to where he believes he has been misrepresented on the CPRS.

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

I am listening closely to the Leader of the Opposition.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the answer to question No. 1 today the Prime Minister referred to an interview with me by Mr Laurie Oakes. He quoted it as evidence that my remarks were inconsistent with the speech I gave to the Liberal Party’s federal council on Saturday, and he said ‘the Leader of the Opposition changes his policy by the day and by the week’. That is a misrepresentation. In the interview with Mr Oakes, which the Prime Minister said was inconsistent with the remarks I made on Saturday, I said emissions trading is not ‘an end in itself’:

The objective is to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. There are many ways you can do it … different approaches will be taken by different countries … The ETS is a means to an end. It is not an end in itself.

I also said:

… the emissions trading scheme that is on offer from Labor and the way Labor is constructing it, we can see now, is going to do real damage to our economy … because of a rushed, poor design.

               …            …            …

They are already making mistakes and there are more to come and it puts our economy at risk.

Honourable members will note that that is entirely consistent with what I said on Saturday.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) 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?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

Please proceed.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today in question time the Prime Minister indicated that I had made statements that were not supportive of the first home owners grant, and those sentiments were reflected also by the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Health and Ageing. I refer to my statement of 14 October 2008, which states:

Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government, Scott Morrison, has welcomed the increase in the first home owners grant to $21,000 for buyers of new homes as part of the stimulus package announced by the Prime Minister today.

I also refer to my statement on Thursday, 5 March, in which I said:

We have already seen the positive impact for first home buyers from extending the first home owners grant. The fact that Labor failed to set aside any of the $6.4 billion they had devoted to public housing, to continue the boost for the first home owners grant for new residential constructions shows their lack of foresight.