Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister on 19 November and the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection on 20 November, 4 December, 5 December and 9 December compared the number of vessels carrying asylum seekers when I was Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship to since the election and claimed an 80 per cent reduction. By the time of the election, with me as minister, arrivals were averaging two boats a week—a rate lower than what arrived last week.