Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:50 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Yes, grievously.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister said in question time that last Thursday I was ‘hiding’ and ‘in an abyss’. In fact, I was at the Parramatta Leagues Club, in the company of hundreds of other Australians, where I spoke at and supported the official launch of the Greater Western Sydney Red Shield Doorknock appeal of the Salvation Army, whose officers work selflessly to lift so many Australians out of an abyss of despair, poverty, abuse and addiction. Mr Speaker, if I may add, the doorknock appeal on 23 and 24 May deserves all of our support.
Peter Lindsay Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
3:51 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Peter Lindsay Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Peter Lindsay Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
A week ago the Townsville Bulletin reported on the study trip that I undertook during the autumn break. The Townsville Bulletin said that the estimated cost of my trip was $100,000. Everybody knows that there is no entitlement for $100,000. The actual cost was about $15,500.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party
Yes, Mr Speaker, most grievously, by the Minister for Health and Ageing.
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party
During the summing up of the alcopops debate, the Minister for Health and Ageing suggested that in my remarks I indicated that I stood for legalising the drug ecstasy. I have no such position. I am firmly against illicit drugs, unlike the minister for health and those on the other side.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Mr Speaker, I ask that that comment be withdrawn.
Opposition Members:
Opposition members—You cannot ask that.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Yes I can. Withdraw it.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The member for Mackellar will resume her seat and the Leader of the House will resume his seat. The real difficulty is that, in making his personal explanation, the last phrase of the explanation was debating the point and was outside of a personal explanation. On those occasions in the past where a comment was outside of the processes of the parliament I have invited members to withdraw their comment on that basis, and I ask the member for Mayo to withdraw on that basis.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The only basis on which you may ask for words to be withdrawn is that they are unparliamentary. The member for Mayo did not make an unparliamentary statement.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
One of the useful definitions of ‘unparliamentary’ that the member for O’Connor raises with me from time to time is ‘the type of remark that is probably going to lead to disorderly behaviour within the chamber’. The member for Canning has suffered because of the way in which I have ruled in this manner. He said something which I may have allowed him if he had said it in a debate, but I asked him to withdraw it because he made the comment by interjection. I am just saying that the member for Mayo went on to debate the question after making what was a very proper personal explanation. I am simply asking him to withdraw it.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, further to my point of order, the minister who made the statement about the member who has just made his personal explanation made a similar statement, and I think it would be only reasonable that if you insist on the member for Mayo withdrawing you should also insist that the minister for health do likewise. That would be equitable.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I am satisfied that the proper procedure was used by the member for Mayo up until the last few words and I am seeking the member for Mayo’s withdrawal.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Patrick Secker Barker, Liberal Party
In question time today the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government intimated that I was opposed to the funding in Mount Gambier.
Government Members:
Government members—You said it.
Patrick Secker Barker, Liberal Party
No, I did not. My point was that the government is claiming that this is part of their infrastructure upgrades but, in actual fact, the decision was made months ago by the Mount Gambier council. The building was started months ago; therefore, there is no way that the $5 million announced yesterday—
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The honourable member has explained where he has been misrepresented. He will resume his seat.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Mr Albanese interjecting
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
I withdraw, Mr Speaker.