Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer the minister to his previous answer. Can the minister confirm that he has been representing himself on the grasslands all along and told ABC Illawarra radio on 26 July, 'One of the landholders is me,' and, 'I make absolutely no apologies for standing up for farmers in my region; that includes me'?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House, on a point of order?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's true, he lives in—

Mr McCormack interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Prime Minister, your Leader of the House is seeking the call, if that's okay.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With respect to the exclusion of standing order 98(c) again, it would need to be relatable to that previous statement. The previous statement, as described in the question, was twofold: firstly, that the minister lives in his electorate on a farm; and secondly, that he's representing people in his electorate affected by the issue. Those are two different things.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I'm going to allow the question. I think it's a straightforward question.

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As it happens, I have a transcript of that interview with me. I'll read from the transcript. I'm quoting myself here: 'I make absolutely no apologies for standing up for farmers in my region.' I make no apologies. If I'm not standing up for farmers in the federal parliament, then who is? That is what local members do. The point I was making was that I and my family are farmers in my electorate. It pains me to remind those opposite that this is a representative democracy. Standing up for your constituents is what local members should do, even though most of us, with a few exceptions, live in our electorates. Labor are accusing me and my family of the heinous crime of being farmers in my electorate, while they turn a blind eye to the literal bags of cash being laundered through Sussex Street. What utter hypocrisy!