Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:12 pm
I congratulate the Minister Albanese. Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Most grievously.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
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
3:14 pm
Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing
Yes, I do.
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing
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 Deputy-Speaker
The member for Dickson had demonstrated where he had been misrepresented.