Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party) 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?

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

Please proceed.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Health and Ageing, in her answer today, inferred an improper motive on my decision to cast my vote on the so-called alcopops legislation. I will carefully check the Hansard but the inference that I took was that my vote had been unduly influenced by the alcohol industry’s support during the Gippsland by-election, and I invite the minister to actually substantiate that allegation. The distillers ran their own advertising and did not mention my name or any other candidate and I had no involvement in the advertising, and I am not aware of any donation to my campaign by the alcohol industry. I do take offence to the imputation that my vote can be bought, and it is a great discredit to the minister that she has sought to typecast me in this manner.