Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
1:52 pm
I wish to make a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Does the honourable member claimed to have been misrepresented?
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
Yes, most grievously by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health today in question time.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
They wrongly accused me of supporting a Medicare co-payment. This is completely untrue. As correctly reported in the Australian today, I was opposed to a Medicare co-payment in 1991 and I am opposed to it today. This was confirmed in the paper today by the then Secretary of the Department of Finance, Dr Michael Keating.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
3:15 pm
I wish to make a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
I do, Madam Speaker.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
I have been misrepresented by the Treasurer today, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs today, and by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in question time on 26 May and again on 28 May. They said that Labor would be putting an extra $16 billion into the aid budget. The facts are these: I said that the coalition's decisions on aid would reduce the aid budget by $16 billion—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Sydney must show where she has been misrepresented—
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
I have.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
and then show how it is the case, and not argue the point.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
I am not arguing the point. They have said that we are putting an extra $16 billion into the aid budget. I am explaining that what I said was that the coalition's decisions on aid would reduce the aid budget by $16 billion.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
They have made a claim about what I said. I have stated our commitment to reaching the 0.5 per cent target, but the eventual cost—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
Madam Speaker, on a point of order, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition might want to ask member for Grayndler, who has great experience in this House on how to take a proper personal explanation, to ensure that she states the fact that misrepresents her and why it is misrepresentation. She is not allowed to argue the case as though she were doing a press release.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Just show where you say you have been misrepresented and why it is not true—without argument.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
They have said that we are putting an extra $16 billion into the aid budget. That is not true. I have said that they have cut $16 billion from the aid budget. What we will do in restoring the aid budget will depend—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I am sorry, the member for Sydney is arguing the case now and will resume her seat—and we will have no across-the-table chat.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, on the point of order, the personal explanation that was being offered was where what had been said was a statement by the government claiming that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition had said particular things. She cannot establish where that is wrong without explaining to the House what in fact she said. There is no other way of correcting the record.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. I have to say that there are other forums of the House where you want to argue those points. Believe me, I am far more lenient with regard to personal explanations than have been previous speakers. But you may not use it as a point of argument. There are other forums of the House.