Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
3:23 pm
Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Yes.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Having so claimed, you may proceed under indulgence.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Today in question time, the Deputy Prime Minister referred to my doorstop this morning when I stated that the government had broken its commitment that construction would begin on a range of new projects in the government's first year. He then claimed that my statement was wrong and named a number of projects which had actually been begun by the former Labor government. In the interests of time I will not go through each of the misrepresentations—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
but I will name just six. There are the Pacific Highway upgrades and the Bruce Highway upgrades, and I refer to nation-building infrastructure, in May 2013. There is the North-South Corridor in Adelaide—and I have a photo of the South Road Superway that is open—and the announcement of the Torrens to Torrens projects in Adelaide. I seek leave to table those photos.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member knows he is not permitted to use props. Do not abuse the indulgence given.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
No. 4 is the Gateway Upgrade North, and I refer to the budget papers of May 2013—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I am going through each of the misrepresentations. I could take a lot longer by not doing this.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order: the member for Grayndler is not making a personal explanation about a matter where he has been misrepresented. He is making a debating point. If he wishes to, he can lodge an MPI and debate it on the MPI or he could take an adjournment. But this is quite out of order. He needs to have been personally misrepresented and therefore to be correcting the record. He is not doing that; he is debating about who said what, and when, about how much money was being spent and when.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. Normally the member for Grayndler is a very good example of the way to make a personal explanation. He is saying that he wishes to move six personal explanation points—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
No. I have put them all in one.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
but the point is, this is in the area of debate. Now you may rise and say that you were misrepresented, you believe; you may list the statements that were made and that your position is that this is not the case; but you may not go on to debate the issue as you are currently doing.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I am doing that, Madam Speaker.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
No, you are not. You have been using props and debating the issue.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
To the point of order raised by the Leader of the House—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I am now addressing the Leader of the House's point.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I have ruled that there is no point of order so there is none for you to address. Now, you can be very specific, but you may not debate this.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
The final two statements, when the Deputy Prime Minister said that I was wrong in saying that these projects had not begun, were on the F3 to M2 in Sydney—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I am in order.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
You are not entitled to get up there and debate what you believe is your record.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Madam Speaker, a point of order: I am not debating. I am naming the projects.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. You have been given ample opportunity to make a personal explanation.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
You've had a very good run!
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I do not need any interjections from the Leader of the House, either. The member will resume his seat because he has completed the issue. He is debating.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
You were given leave to make a personal explanation. I do not grant you further indulgence. It is an indulgence and it is not granted.