Peter Slipper Fisher, Liberal Party
I apologise to the Minister for Trade. I should have given him the opportunity to make his personal explanation.
Craig Emerson Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade
4:28 pm
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I do wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Does the minister claim to have been misrepresented?
Craig Emerson Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade
The shadow minister for small business accused me of lying over his support for a government owned bank. The Australian newspaper of 22 May 2010 begins:
Two decades after the collapse of state banks in Victoria and South Australia, the Coalition is considering setting up a government-backed bank to lend money to small and medium businesses.
It said:
The Coalition’s small business spokesman, Bruce Billson, told The Weekend Australian the idea … had merit …
He went on to say in the article:
“There’s a range of possibilities, including governments offering wholesale lending guarantees like the government did for the big banks after the global financial crisis.
I rest my case.