Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will have some silence. Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do. In question time today, the Prime Minister claimed that I delivered fewer than 10 per cent of announced GP superclinics. This is wrong. When we left office—

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my right. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we left office nearly 80 per cent of announced GP superclinics were open, delivering early services or under construction.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call, explaining where she has been misrepresented.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I seek leave to make a further personal explanation.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. The Minister for Social Services said that the NRAS properties are not being used to house low-income workers. In fact, that is completely wrong.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nobody said that.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You did say that. Well, he did say that.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: for a personal explanation to be within the standing orders, it needs to accurately reflect what was said. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is entitled to get the transcript of question time and then quote that if she believes it is false, but she is not allowed to assert that something was said that was not said, and that is not what the Minister for Social Services said.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on the point of order: if ministers feel that something has been stated that they believe is inaccurate, this exact form of the House is available to them too.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The requirement for personal explanations is to bring it to the attention of the House at the earliest possible time. If there is doubt about what was said, perhaps it is better to check and then have the opportunity to come back to the House, and that will be the earliest time.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I did listen quite carefully to the words of the minister, and he did say that the NRAS properties are not being used to house low-income workers as intended. In fact, 14,000 new homes have been built, 24,000 are in the pipeline and they are housing low-income workers, sole parents, families, Aboriginal Australians, community housing—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are now getting into argument. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. This whole area of personal explanations is getting a little untidy. If there is a concern about what has been said where it is inaccurate then I think it is better to wait for the transcript and then to refute it in a neat way. If the minister feels that he has been misquoted by the member seeking a personal explanation then we can have that done as well. But we do not need tit for tat every question time. So I think it is better if we get the transcript.