House debates Personal Explanations

Monday, 30 May 2011 House of Representatives

Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

3:28 pm

I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins

Harry Jenkins Speaker

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

I do.

Harry Jenkins

Harry Jenkins Speaker

The member for Cook may proceed.

Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

On the ABC News website it currently reports, in an article by Jeremy Thompson, that a Greens motion condemning the government over mandatory detention 'has been supported by the opposition'. Can I just refer the House to the actual motion moved by Mr Bandt, which says:

That this House:

(1) condemns the Gillard Government’s deal with Malaysia that would see 800 asylum seekers intercepted in Australian waters and sent to Malaysia; and

(2) calls on the Government to immediately abandon this proposal …

Clearly, the coalition continues to support mandatory detention, and any suggestion to the contrary is a misrepresentation by the journalist.

Harry Jenkins

Harry Jenkins Speaker

I would just remind the member for Cook next time to personalise the representation rather than doing it on behalf of the collective. But I take it that he got his message across.