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

Madam Speaker, I seek leave to give a personal explanation.

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

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

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

I do.

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

Please proceed.

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

In today's edition of The Australian an opinion piece by Troy Bramston contains a number of falsehoods, assertions and fictions. Only one of the assertions is backed up by a quote with an attribution, which it is now drawn to my attention is from Bob Carr's recent book. The book says that Bob Carr had received a telephone call from New South Wales Labor's secretary, who said:

“he had just taken calls from (Chris) Bowen and Albanese complaining that I had undermined their pro-Rudd campaign”.

As now Senator Sam Dastyari has confirmed to the Senate, this is not correct. As Senator Dastyari also confirmed, my only comments to him at the time were that people should shut up about the leadership and get on with the business of governing.

As for the other assertions, they are absurd, wrong, without any attribution, unprofessional and contradicted by a cursory examination of the facts and recent history. The fact is that I am working hard each and every day to hold this government to account. That is my only focus.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) 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 honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do, by the Prime Minister.

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

Please proceed.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Twice today in question time the Prime Minister wrongly accused me of supporting a Medicare copayment. He accused me of being the 'mother' of the copayment. I want to make it very clear to the House for a third time that this is completely false. I opposed the copayment in 1991 and I oppose it now. This has been confirmed by the then secretary of the finance department, Dr Keating, and I ask the Speaker intervene to ensure that this falsehood is not repeated a fourth time in this House.

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

I would say to the member that she chose to take a personal explanation as distinct from asking at intervention at an earlier point, which is perfectly her right to do.