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

At seven o’clock this morning they were putting bolts on that door and then they put out a press release to say that they had already been there, and, 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, by the Minister for Education, Science and Training.

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

The Minister for Education, Science and Training said in the course of her remarks in discussing the issues related to her history conference that I had stated two totally inconsistent positions. One was to support the idea of narrative history, and the other was to suggest that there ought to be a different priority associated with the advent of her conference, in which she implied that, because I thought it was not the best of ideas, I opposed the teaching of narrative history. I think it is very important that we all know who Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson were.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will come to where he has been personally been misrepresented.

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

Aside from that, the simple fact of the matter is that I was misrepresented when she said that my position was inconsistent. I believe in the teaching of narrative history, but I also believe now that her priority should be apprenticeships—

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

The Leader of the Opposition has made his point.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) 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?

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed I have been.

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

Please proceed.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Transport and Regional Services just implied that the basis of the questions I asked him during this week was somehow false and that I had lied.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He said ‘dishonest’.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He said that I was dishonest. The information contained in those questions was not only accurate but confirmed again when at seven o’clock this morning workers at Sydney airport were installing bolts to fasten a piece of timber to the floor of that plywood door which opens onto the restricted area of the airport.

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

The member has made his point.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, you heard the minister at some length and for some time impugning my integrity.

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

Order! The member for Brisbane will not debate the chair. The minister was adding to an answer.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. And I am making a personal explanation.

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

The member for Brisbane is making a personal explanation. The member will show where he has been personally misrepresented.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am in the process of doing that, Mr Speaker. Thank you. It was the case not only yesterday but also today as those bolts were being put in that piece of timber at seven o’clock this morning. The fence which the minister refers to is on only three sides of the hangar. The sliding door to which I referred is not the door that the minister talks about. He refers to a security fence that does not enclose the hangar.

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

The member for Brisbane has made his point.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) 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?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

Please proceed.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member for Brisbane has clearly misrepresented my response to his question. The honourable member for Brisbane brought into the House a chock. I have shown him an example of the only chock that we could find, of that size. The chock that he is referring to now is this one in the article that I have here.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The level of interjection is far too high. I believe the minister has shown where he has been misrepresented. Does the minister have anything further to show where he has been personally misrepresented?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it is clear that the piece of timber referred to in this article is a couple of metres long. It is not a little chock like the one the member for Brisbane brought into the House—

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

The minister will resume his seat.