House debates

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Personal Explanations

3:12 pm

Photo of Tanya PlibersekTanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the member for Sydney claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Tanya PlibersekTanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

You may proceed.

Photo of Tanya PlibersekTanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

Today, in question time, the Prime Minister accused me of ignoring a GetUp campaign of harassment of the member for Boothby. The truth is that I was unaware of any harassment by GetUp of the member for Boothby until very recently. When I heard that the member for Boothby was retiring, I contacted her to tell her that I regret that she's leaving politics and that I wish her the best. I would like to see more Liberal women in this place, not fewer.

3:13 pm

Photo of Luke GoslingLuke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the member for Solomon claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Luke GoslingLuke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes, most unfortunately.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Solomon will proceed.

Photo of Luke GoslingLuke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

In the last sittings, the member for Grey misrepresented me when he said, on 22 February:

One of the privileges of the position I hold is that I am the co-chair, along with the member for Solomon, of the Parliamentary Friends of the Philippines. Last week I had the great pleasure of hosting the ambassador, Hellen De La Vega, for a quiet meeting in the house. Unfortunately, the member for Solomon couldn't join us at the time.

The member for Grey, to his great credit, has rung my office and said that he misspoke because, of course, I was sitting right next to him and the ambassador in his office. I have a photo on my phone, if you want me to show you that, Mr Speaker.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

No, I certainly don't, but you have shown where you've been misrepresented, and I don't think there's anything else to add, so thank you.