John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I have to read it out, because I have six points to make in relation to the media release. I am being scourged by Mr Max Moore-Wilton. The media release says that the Sydney Morning Herald:

... did not fully quote Mr Max Moore-Wilton’s remarks on the John Laws program on Wednesday 8 February 2006. As Mr Moore-Wilton indicated in that interview Sydney Airport operates within the framework of Federal law and that Sydney Airport has to abide by the curfew and other restrictions mandated by the Government.

Mr Murphy’s support for personal flagellation is unfortunate and typical of the negative attitude he shows to all issues relating to the development of Sydney Airport and the creation of new jobs in the region. “Sydney Airport will continue to endeavour to communicate with Mr Murphy to ensure he has a better understanding of the issues”, Mr Moore-Wilton said.

I make six points. Firstly, I did not claim that Sydney airport is seeking the removal of the curfew or the current 80 movements per hour cap at Sydney airport; I said that in relation to Mr Moore-Wilton. Secondly, I did not refer to the John Laws program, and that does not detract from the fact that the only gratuitous information conveyed to Mr Laws by Mr Moore-Wilton was the motherhood statement that Sydney airport ‘operates within the framework of federal law and that Sydney airport has to abide by the curfew and other restrictions mandated by government’.

Thirdly, Mr Moore-Wilton cannot escape the fact that he said that he was talking to the federal government about the curfew and his preference to have no curfew at Sydney airport. Fourthly, I take extreme exception to the pompous and patronising statement made by Mr Moore-Wilton about me today. Fifthly, it is Mr Moore-Wilton who has no insight into his own condition and his understanding of the issues concerning Sydney airport and its impact on my electorate. Sixthly, I will continue to whip, scourge, lash and flog Mr Moore-Wilton.

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