House debates
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Personal Explanations
3:34 pm
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Yes, grievously, and the Prime Minister should listen to this.
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Twice in question time the Prime Minister said, ‘What I find remarkable about this entire exchange, Mr Speaker, is that the newborn party of compassion, which lodged its birth notice last Friday, registered its death notice with its earlier remarks by the member for Wentworth, saying that working families do not deserve a decent outcome when it comes to the minimum wage.’ Every member of this House, including the Prime Minister, who does not have the guts to listen, knows I said nothing of the sort—
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member must show where he was misrepresented.
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
but, instead, asked a question of the Prime Minister as to why the government lacked the courage to make any submission to the Fair Pay Commission about the outcome—
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member will resume his seat. Unless he shows where he has been personally misrepresented and does not debate the issue—
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I am not debating it.
Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
You’re not debating it?
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Wentworth must not debate the issue but must explain where he has been misrepresented.
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, that is precisely what I am doing. I have detailed the misrepresentation the Prime Minister made twice and I am now saying what I said. With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to complete the personal explanation which I am entitled to give.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
How long does this quote from yourself go for?
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, it is nearly finished.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member will wrap up his personal explanation now.
Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The question that I asked sought to find out from the Prime Minister why the government had decided not to make any submission as to the outcome—
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member will resume his seat.
3:36 pm
Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Does the Leader of the House claim to have been misrepresented?
Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I do, Mr Speaker.
Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
During question time, in a question from the Leader of the Opposition to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition quoted a question from Steve Price and the answer from me. He quoted the following question: ‘So the commitment is that the $1,600 carers allowance and the $500 pensioners bonus will be paid as cash this financial year?’ The Leader of the Opposition stopped there, Mr Speaker. He was able to read on but he chose not to read the full question, which ended with ‘and for how many years ahead?’ That was the question that I answered.