Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I seek leave 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?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do, most egregiously, once again.

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

Then you have the call.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning in the Senate, Senator Conroy, referring to my meeting with Mr Dagger about the change.org petition, made the statement: 'The Assistant Minister for Defence was so dismissive of this petition he said "it was not as big as others in support of beer and aspirins,"'

What I actually told Mr Dagger was that the two largest petitions in history have been for GST on beer and for non-pharmaceuticals in Coles and Woolies.

It just goes to show that petitions make a difference. They are important to the Australian people and I encourage them to continue to use them.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: the opposition notes that the article in ?Rear Window today must have been correct.

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

There is no point of order. That is abuse of a point of order, and you know it.