Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I most certainly do.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 25 November, this week, in theWater Amendment Bill 2008 debate in the Senate, Minister Penny Wong seriously and, I suspect, purposely misrepresented my position on Labor’s water-purchasing strategy. Minister Wong said:

Dr Stone does not mind purchase—

of water—

as long as it is only in New South Wales. I am not sure she has told you, Senator Nash, that she is happy if we purchase but only if it is in New South Wales.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I have been on the public record continuously and loudly since Labor announced its naive and destructive water buyback scheme.

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

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: the purposes of a personal explanation are to correct matters on the record. The honourable member is entering into debate about matters that have been debated in the House.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his assistance. I am well aware that the honourable member must show where she has been personally misrepresented and I am listening very closely to make sure that in fact the standing orders are observed. The member for Murray will show where she has been personally misrepresented.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can understand the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts being concerned about my putting the record straight. As I was saying, I have been on the public record continuously and loudly since Labor announced its naive and destructive water buyback scheme, including—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member ought to show how she personally has been misrepresented and ought not to seek to score political points in the process of doing so.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I am explaining is that Minister Wong claimed—and I read out the quote—that I do ‘not mind purchase of water as long as it is only in New South Wales’.

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

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: the purposes of a member seeking to correct the record on a matter of personal explanation is if they have been specifically misrepresented not in the context of a debate in the parliament but rather on matters that are on the public record. That is the practice in this House, and the member opposite is abusing it.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. Under the standing orders an honourable member is allowed to show where she has been personally misrepresented, whether that misrepresentation takes place in a speech in the parliament or in the media. If the honourable member for Murray could bring it to a conclusion, that would assist the House.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Certainly, Mr Deputy Speaker. I need to make it quite clear that this is a serious misrepresentation, since this matter is of critical importance in my electorate, and my reputation has been smeared by the suggestion that I in fact follow Labor policy on water purchasing. That is why it has been important for me to make this personal explanation in this House.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the member has shown where she has been misrepresented.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have stated, and I just restate for the record, that I have continuously and loudly opposed the water buyback scheme by Labor because it destroys the market—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

Point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker—

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and distorts prices for irrigators—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the member has finished her personal explanation.