House debates

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Personal Explanations

3:51 pm

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

Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

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

I do.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

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

Today in question time the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party asked a question of the Prime Minister in which she selectively quoted my comments from Lateline last night. I went on to say:

No, Tony, we are not. We are engaged in a policy process which is trying to work through what is an extremely difficult and complex issue.

I also said:

Tony, these people, these people have come to Indonesia. They haven’t come to Indonesia via Australia.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: as the Leader of the House well knows,  he needs to simply show where he has been misrepresented and not try to debate the issue.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

That is correct.

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

And, quite frankly, he has not so far shown that he has been misrepresented at all.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The Leader of the House knows his responsibilities. The Leader of the House is giving his personal explanation.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I said:

So, in terms of the policy, I don’t think would be advanced, as you would be very clear, clearly aware, if Australia was to lecture our neighbours about the way that they conduct their policy. What we can do is engage in diplomacy in an appropriate fashion, which is not to lecture on Lateline.