Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been misrepresented twice today: firstly, by the Prime Minister at a press conference and, secondly, by the Treasurer in question time. The Prime Minister repeated today, and the Treasurer joined him, that since the Work Choices legislation has been put in place I have alleged that the legislation would produce immediate mass sackings. Indeed, on a search of the parliamentary database it appears that I have been verballed on that 21 times by the Prime Minister, four times by Piers Ackerman and once today by the Treasurer. A further search of that database reveals that I have never at any stage claimed that the Work Choices legislation would produce mass sackings. The claim that I have made is, firstly, that workers are easier to sack as a result of this legislation—that is manifestly true—and, secondly, that the actions of this act on the workplace rights of Australian workers would be like an infestation of termites. That is true too.