Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) 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 Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

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

Please proceed.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was misrepresented in question time today by both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport who claimed that I did not answer a question about what time I was informed about the action that Qantas was going to take. Let me just read from the transcript of my press conference today:

Mr Abbott, at what time on Saturday were you or your office informed about the action that Qantas was going to take?

TONY ABBOTT:

My understanding is that my office was first informed at about quarter past four and I heard about it just before five o'clock.

The Prime Minister and the minister for transport also claimed that I somehow had prior notice of what Qantas intended to do. Let me reiterate: the first I heard about it was at about quarter to five on Saturday afternoon. If the Prime Minister and the minister for transport have any doubt, I refer them to a transcript of Steve Price on 2GB where he said he was beside me when I first learned about it. If I had prior notice of what Qantas was intending, I would hardly have booked myself and my family on Qantas the following day, so I suggest to the Prime Minister and the minister for transport they should stop fantasising about me and start apologising for the massive damage they have inflicted on the Australian public.