Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
3:12 pm
Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal statement.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Does the minister claim to have been misrepresented?
Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
I do, most grievously.
Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
Yesterday the member for Hunter put out a press release saying:
Barnaby Joyce changed the record of an answer he provided on 20 October 2014 on the implementation of his drought package.
This is incorrect, and I ask the member for Hunter to retract it. I have stated quite clearly I had no knowledge of the change and, once it did become known to me, I asked for it to be changed back. He is also looking for a smoking gun, apparently. He is digging around, so he has asked the department for an email between a Mr Craig Croker and a Mr Andrew Henderson. He has asked for it to be tabled, as a smoking gun. I table it. Why this is unusual is that—
Ed Husic Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Minister for Agriculture is not entitled to debate the matter.
Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
merely yesterday—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The minister will resume his seat. A point of personal explanation is granted on indulgence so that you can show where the record has need of being corrected, not to debate the question. If he has a second matter he wishes to raise, he must seek indulgence again.
Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
I do. I think further explanation is required on this issue. Madam Speaker, clearly—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
No. I am sorry, the Minister for Agriculture may not debate this point. There are other areas where you may do these things.
Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture
I ask the member for Hunter now to retract his statement.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The point of a personal explanation is to explain where you believe the record needs correcting. You have done that.
Ed Husic Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer
That was a great session of red faces!
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There are those who are laughing about dealing with this particular area of standing orders, and many do not do it terribly well themselves. I would not be casting aspersions.