Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, mischievously, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member may continue.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During an address to this House prior to question time, the member for Solomon quoted me as suggesting that the population of Indigenous communities be ‘centralised’. It is not a term I used nor is it a philosophy I believe in. In a previous statement in this House, I simply raised the issue of questioning the sustainability of some communities.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek 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.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In question time, the minister for the environment claimed that I had only approved Community Water Grants in coalition electorates. That is not true. They were approved across the country. The Prime Minister’s electorate of Griffith received 29—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise in a point of. That was not claimed at all—they were too busy interjecting to listen to the minister for the environment—so: fixed!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The chair is in the difficult position where I cannot arbitrate on what was actually said. The member must indicate where he thinks he was misrepresented and once having done that he cannot debate it.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the water grants were approved in electorates across the country, including the Prime Minister’s—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just stating the fact. I have stated how I believe I was misrepresented—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It might clarify this issue if I invite the Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts to indicate whether that was part of his answer.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, ‘coalition electorates’ was not mentioned in the course of my answer.

Chris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under the standing orders, a member has the right to claim to have been personally misrepresented, and the member has the right to be heard and to lay that claim before the House. I would put to you, Mr Speaker, that that is simply what the member for Wentworth is attempting to do but is being continually interrupted by the government.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am actually applying standing order 271, which is to do with common sense, because I cannot be an arbitrator of what I actually thought was said, but I did not think that the comment was made about coalition seats, which seemed to be the reaction to the member’s attempt to make the personal explanation, and if the basis of the personal explanation was in fact something that was not contained in the answer, then I thought that this was the best way of handling it because it would appear, at this stage, that—unless there is other information that muddies the waters—the point that the member for Wentworth was attempting to have clarified has been clarified.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then, Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the schedule of all of the Community Water Grants from late last year which shows all of the electorates in which they are awarded, including more in Griffith and Kingsford Smith than in my seat.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Is leave granted? Leave is not granted.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member will resume his seat.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member will resume his seat. And it might assist the chair if the Leader of the House tries to get the call.