Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
4:00 pm
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
Yes.
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
The Daily Telegraph yesterday alleged that a staff member of my electorate office had placed his APH address on his private blog and that his private blog was linked to a pornographic blog. The staff member in question did inadvertently place his APH address on his blog, for which he has been counselled.
Warren Truss Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This part of the program of the parliament is designed for members to explain where they have been personally misrepresented, not their staff.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I will listen to the minister and for the way in which this relates to him.
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
The APH address has been removed from his blog. However—
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
How does this relate to you?
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
Because the heading of the article is ‘Minister embarrassed’.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Well, aren’t you?
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
You are embarrassing; that is what you are.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The minister will resume his seat. Those on my left will cease interjecting. The minister has the call.
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
However, it is untrue that his private blog was linked to a pornographic site. The site referred to in the article is called AwkwardFamilyPhotos and it is currently linked to many public sites, including, would you believe it, the Daily Telegraph site. On 19 May, the Daily Telegraph website described the site as ‘taking the world by storm, allowing readers to post cringe-worthy family portraits, along with witty captions and headlines’. I table the Daily Telegraph website page that links to the site in question. I am confident that this now clears up any misunderstanding by the Daily Telegraph and the journalist involved.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
That was an abuse of the processes of the parliament.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
An abuse of the processes of the parliament is to sit there and interject. I indicate that perhaps that might have been wide of the mark, but, given that the minister is a portfolio minister in the Attorney-General’s Department, it may have assisted to clarify those matters.