Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
3:23 pm
I wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Does the member for North Sydney claim to have been misrepresented?
Joe Hockey North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer
In his preliminary valedictory speech the member for Fisher said:
I do recall that Mr Palmer mentioned to me at that time that about Easter last year Mr Brough, accompanied by the member for North Sydney, came to see Mr Palmer to ask him to fund James Ashby's legal fees with respect to the litigation that most people listening would be aware of.
That is patently untrue. I have never met Mr Ashby. I did not know of Mr Ashby. The matter was never raised over a cup of coffee that I had with Mr Palmer, which has been widely reported. The matter was never raised in relation to that entire affair. I note that Mr Palmer's spokesman has just said, 'Clive has denied this about a thousand times.' I ask that the member for Fisher correct the record.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Does the member for Murray claim to have been misrepresented?
Sharman Stone Murray, Liberal Party
I was a member of the Tony Windsor chaired Murray-Darling Basin inquiry. During question time the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities said that we, as members of that committee, had been in total agreement with his actions since then and that the recommendations of that committee had been fully taken up. That is not the case, in particular in relation to a triple-bottom-line approach or a strategic water buyback recommendation which stated that there should not be generic buyback of water at all, because it destroys irrigated agriculture. This is a most serious allegation for those of us who worked hard on that committee, and we do ask the government to revisit the recommendations of that inquiry because it is a most significant inquiry for the future of agribusiness in the Basin.