House debates
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Personal Explanations
3:32 pm
John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
In an article printed in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald, and repeated by government representatives, a claim was made that I called for the abolition of worker penalty rates and the reinstatement of Work Choices. The facts are that in a speech to a business forum in Bennelong last Friday I relayed stories I had received from local businesses that they do not operate on the weekend as it is no longer profitable, meaning workers who used to have weekend income are now forced to unemployment. I totally refute any claim that I called for the abolition of worker penalty rates or the reinstatement of Work Choices. To draw that allegation from my statements is as big a leap as that of Evel Knievel trying to cross the Grand Canyon.
3:33 pm
Alby Schultz (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Alby Schultz (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On 10 August this year in the upper house of the New South Wales parliament a question was put by the Hon. Mick Veitch MLC to the Minister for Roads and Ports, the Hon. Duncan Gay. The question involved my contribution to the issue of wind farms.
During the latter part of the reply from the Hon. Duncan Gay he said:
I have to acknowledge that life has dealt Alby a tough hand. For him some days are really difficult and one of the toughest for him was the day that I, as chairman of the National Party, rejected his application to become a member of the National Party. He has had a lot of trouble getting over that, and some of his statements should be taken bearing in mind that rejection.
Those of this House who know me well know that that is an outrageous lie, and it is misleading the New South Wales parliament. I totally reject it because hell has not yet frozen over.
John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?
John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I do, Mr Speaker.
John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, on page 1 of today's Australian newspaper is a report on the ALP caucus's discussion yesterday on media ownership that states, inter alia, that my support for a public inquiry into the media was 'taken to advocate Labor support for Senator Brown's proposal'. News Limited, the ALP caucus, my constituents and the wider community have for many years been aware of my longstanding public campaign against the concentration of media ownership in Australia. I repudiate any suggestion by News Limited that I need Senator Bob Brown or the Greens to motivate me on this very important issue.