Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
3:54 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
I do.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Today after question time the member for Parkes, in a personal explanation, suggested that I had put out a misleading press release with regard to the nation building program and the black spot—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The standing orders prohibit these matters being debated, and that is precisely what the Leader of the House is attempting to do under the guise of an explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
The Leader of the House will come to where he has been misrepresented.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
The member for Parkes suggested that I had put out a misleading press release. That is not true. The amendment that he voted for would have failed to allow black spot programs that were on the national network, including the ones in his electorate, to be funded.
Peter Lindsay Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
3:55 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.
Peter Lindsay Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
Yesterday in the Queensland parliament, the member for Mundingburra claimed that a press release that I put out to the Townsville Bulletin, which was subsequently published in the Townsville Bulletin, was racist. An examination of that press release will show that there are no racist comments whatsoever in it.