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

by leave—Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Yes.

Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

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

My attention has only today been drawn to an article in AAP on 16 March 2013, 'New South Wales coal train pollution not too bad: Albanese,' which was apparently also picked up in the Newcastle Herald. This refers to an issue regarding a contact by AAP seeking a comment from me in response to a statement by Senator Lee Rhiannon. I make it a policy not to respond to all of Lee Rhiannon's obsessive comments about me because I have a real job to do. With regard to this, I did not make a statement—any such statement. My spokesperson made no statement whatsoever to AAP.

AAP have reported a report that was forwarded to AAP from the ARTC, the Australian Rail Track Corporation, a particulate report, that they published last year—that is, ARTC, an independent corporate entity, separate from the government, a report separate from the government, no comments from me and no comments from my spokesperson. This is an error made by AAP and I correct the record. I made no such statement, nor did my spokesperson. The quotes that are attributed to me in the article are in fact from the ARTC report, not from me.

Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Leader of the House. You have clarified the misrepresentation.