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

I congratulate the Minister Albanese. 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?

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

Most grievously.

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

Please proceed.

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

The Prime Minister claimed in question time today that if the coalition won the election we would keep the carbon tax. Madam Deputy Speaker, when I say there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead I am telling the truth. In addition, the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs claimed that the coalition wanted to stop pension increases. The only person in this parliament who is against pension increases is the Prime Minister, and we have a former Prime Minister's authority for that.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) 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?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) 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.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In parliament earlier today the member for New England referred to an exchange of conversations between his office and mine about the disallowance of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme, which is the subject of debate in this House today. I want to correct the record by saying and reconfirming my position that my office had contacted the office of the member for New England. I understand that there is some debate about this issue within his office as well, and I respect the fact that we have been able to have a civil discussion since that point, but I want to reconfirm the fact that my office had contacted, several times, the member for New England's office and there had been no response to that request for us—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Dickson had demonstrated where he had been misrepresented.