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

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the 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.

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

On the ABC AMprogram this morning the Leader of the House claimed that I had asked the Minister for Immigration to intervene on behalf of a specific detainee within the Villawood detention centre. This statement is untrue. The letter which I wrote states a request that was made by someone else and informs the minister that the other person made that request.

Madam Speaker, I seek to make a further personal explanation.

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

The member has the call.

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

On page 1 of today's Daily Telegraph there is a claim in the headline that I had sought for a particular detainee to be released from the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. This claim is untrue. On page 2 of today's Daily Telegraphthere is a redacted version of the letter which I wrote to the Minister for Immigration. Had this letter not been redacted, it would be clear that the request referred to in the letter was being made by a constituent who had visited my office and not by me.

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a further personal explanation.

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

The member has the call.

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

In question time today the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House and the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection all referred to me providing references for a specific detainee within the Villawood detention centre. This is not true—although the Prime Minister has provided character references that he should regret.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, given the personal explanation that has been taken by the member for Watson, is it within the standing orders for me to table the letter from Mr Burke to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection that clearly refutes the statement he has just made in the House? This says, 'would appreciate any consideration that could be given to releasing Mr Nweke', and he just said that he gave no support for releasing Mr Nweke.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How do you have that?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was given to me by the minister for immigration.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I am very concerned that—

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

What is the point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the Leader of the House is about to breach privilege against a member. I do not know how he has that letter. The letter is not the same letter. That is correspondence between a member of parliament and a minister. That is quite clearly subject to privilege.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rubbish!

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is quite clearly subject to privilege, Madam Speaker.

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

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Leader of the House has the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on what basis?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I think we know the point of order that is being made by the member for Grayndler.

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On what basis?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because we understand the point you are making.

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

The Leader of the House has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, when the member for Grayndler was Leader of the House he used to constantly refer to letters that he had received from members about transport matters or infrastructure matters or BER openings and table them and show them as props in question time. For them to now stand there and hypocritically pretend that somehow this is unusual is quite ridiculous, and I am asking for your guidance.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am entitled to—

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I am entitled to have a point of order.

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

The member will remove himself under 94(a) for one hour.

The member for Grayndler then left the chamber.

The Leader of the House has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am asking for your guidance, Madam Speaker. I am happy to come back later after you have had the chance to consider it.

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

A minister has the right to table documents without seeking leave if there is no motion before the chair.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In which case I table the letter that the member for Watson wrote, which refutes the statement he simply just made on the matter of personal explanation, where he claimed that he had made no attempt to influence the decision of the minister; but this refutes that statement.

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

The Leader of the House has tabled the document and will resume his seat.

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

Madam Speaker—

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

The member for Watson has the call.

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

Madam Speaker, I will be brief. What the Leader of the House has just done—

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

Are you saying you have been misrepresented?

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

No, Madam Speaker, please bear with me for a moment; I will be as brief as I can. What the Leader of the House has just done—he may want to deal with this himself. When the letter was published today in a redacted version, it was for very specific privacy reasons that the paper took that view. What has just happened there does not appear to be the redacted version—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will show you a copy of it.

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

Well, I have seen the original.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The names have been removed, except for Mr Nweke's, obviously; he has already been in the newspaper.

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

The point has been dealt with, it would seem.