House debates
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Personal Explanations
3:40 pm
Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal 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?
Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
In a media statement and further remarks in this House today, the Prime Minister said I was placing a ‘slur on the three-quarters of a million refugees to come to Australia since World War 2’. I am sure that the grandfather of two of my grandchildren, who bear his family name, and the Chief Opposition Whip would be surprised by that untrue allegation.
My remarks today related to the security of Australia’s borders and its people, and nothing in the transcript of my remarks today can be honestly interpreted otherwise. I did not state that asylum seekers were terrorists. To the contrary, I made supportive remarks regarding the 13,000 legal refugee entrants to Australia annually.