House debates

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Personal Explanations

3:45 pm

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

I do.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

In the debate just concluded the member for New England said that during the negotiations after the election I was prepared to do anything to get to the Lodge. Self-evidently, that is not true. I was not prepared to introduce a carbon tax in breach of my pre-election commitments. There are lots of things that I would never do to get the top job, and one thing I would never do is break a clear pre-election promise.