Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

I wanted to come into the chamber at the earliest opportunity following a phone call from the office of my friend and former colleague from the other house, the Attorney-General. In a discussion this morning on the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill 2008 I incorrectly associated Mr McClelland and Mr Laurie Ferguson from the other place, and Senator Conroy from our own place, with advocating an increase in the donation disclosure level. I should instead have indicated that they wish to extend the level of tax deductibility to $1,500. I had previously correctly referred to that in a doorstop interview. I incorrectly did that today and I wanted to correct the record as a matter of urgency. I do apologise to those gentlemen. I did incorrectly talk about an extension for the wrong thing this morning and I do apologise.