House debates

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Personal Explanations

3:28 pm

Photo of Wilson TuckeyWilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Wilson TuckeyWilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Certainly, sir.

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

Please proceed.

Photo of Wilson TuckeyWilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, today in the parliament the Treasurer referred specifically to my comments made today in our party room on the ETS issue. In so doing, he referred to me as a carbon sceptic and a denier of climate change. My contribution in the party room was to criticise the ETS legislation for its failure to address the problem of climate change, reminding those present that it proposes to sell or gift to large emitters certificates to allow them to continue polluting and to pass the cost on to captive markets such as domestic and small business consumers of energy products, and consequently it plans only to achieve a five per cent emission reduction by 2020, when the Barrier Reef scientists who addressed Labor MPs this morning said 20 per cent worldwide is the required target.

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

Order! The member for O’Connor will not debate his personal explanation.

Photo of Wilson TuckeyWilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have not told them everything I said. The rest is pretty good!

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

I think that the member for O’Connor, to the extent that he needed to make a point, has made his point.

Photo of Wilson TuckeyWilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Photo of Daryl MelhamDaryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

How do you remember, with dementia!

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

Order! I will use the member for Banks’s behaviour at the moment as an illustration that it is not helpful for people in prosecuting whatever case they want to prosecute when they ask questions or make points of order and then just go into argy-bargy across the table.

Photo of Jamie BriggsJamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Briggs interjecting

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

If the member for Banks said something, he said it at the same time that I was saying something. If he said something that caused offence, I ask him to withdraw.

Photo of Daryl MelhamDaryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I withdraw unconditionally.

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

And I ask the member for Mayo to withdraw his comment.

Photo of Jamie BriggsJamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | | Hansard source

Now you be a man, Albo.

Photo of Jason WoodJason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Justice and Public Security) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Wood interjecting

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for La Trobe will withdraw.

Photo of Jason WoodJason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Justice and Public Security) Share this | | Hansard source

I withdraw.

3:31 pm

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

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

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

And that is within his rights. I am not sure what was released into the atmosphere after question time, but it has certainly changed the mood of the House. Does the Leader of the House claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Yes. The Manager of Opposition Business, in his abuse of parliamentary processes by putting forward a question, attempted to put on the record an interjection that I did not make.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

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

Order! Whilst I was happy to have an early mark, I am going to be patient. I do not understand why these matters cannot be settled quietly. The Leader of the House has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, the interjection that I made across the chamber was, ‘This was a rescue at sea,’ and it was heard by those here. That was my interjection. The abuse of process and the failure of the Leader of the Opposition or the Manager of Opposition Business to have the courage to raise it with me is an outrage.

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. He has resumed his seat. Is the member for Sturt seeking the call?

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

I simply make the point, Mr Speaker, that he is not allowed to debate the matter of a personal explanation.

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

He has been told to sit down. I warn the member for Sturt, and the basis of the warning is that, repeatedly, when he has a point of order he makes the point of order and then continues to prattle on.

Photo of Chris PearceChris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Pearce interjecting

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

The member for Aston should go back to his contemplation of future endeavours. It is a friendly reminder that he has been very well behaved, and I was surprised.