Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 23 June 2012 the Australian Financial Review, normally a paper focused on business matters—

Mr Hockey interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Oxley cannot be heard. This is an important matter. The other issue has been dealt with, and I will provide an answer to the member for North Sydney at a later stage. The member for Oxley has the call.

The Australian Financial Review, normally a paper focused on business matters, published an article titled 'Wang’s vision for Asia-Pacific' by Patrick Durkin. The article falsely stated I had met with Mr George Wang from the APX at their Sydney offices of the exchange. This is not true as the meeting was held at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney.

Further, the article claimed, without reference but made it look like it was me, that Mr Wang was advised to remove photos of himself with former Prime Minister Howard and former Prime Minister Rudd in case it might upset me. This is also completely untrue and a fabrication, as of course there are no photos of Mr Wang with any former prime ministers in the CPO.

Further the AFR article by Patrick Durkin claimed that photos of Mr Wang and former prime ministers should also be removed while without reference in the article—and this is completely untrue and a fabrication—along with further references about me made in the article in relation to those photos. I am seeking the AFR make a correction.