Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation in relation to a statement made by the Leader of the Opposition during question time yesterday.

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

Does the member believe she has been misrepresented?

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do.

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

Please proceed.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition claimed that I had not fought for any worker at Alcoa or Blue Circle. This is false. With respect to Blue Circle cement in Geelong, now Boral, these 90 jobs were lost when Labor was in government. As the Liberal candidate, I advocated very hard for Blue Circle, particularly in relation to the impact of the carbon tax. With respect to Alcoa—

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

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

The member for Hunter will resume his seat.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But you understand the matter I am about to raise.

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

The member for Hunter will resume his seat.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She has clearly made clear where she was misrepresented. She is now arguing the case.

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

The member for Hunter will resume his seat. The member for Corangamite needs to establish where she has been misrepresented and then state what the true position is but not enter into argument.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The misrepresentation occurred because the Leader of the Opposition claimed that I had not fought for any worker at Alcoa or Blue Circle. This is false. I have already said that in relation to Blue Circle I advocated very hard. In relation to Alcoa—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member—

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

May I just finish my point?

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Those on my left will show some courtesy. This is a new member, and members who have been in this place for a lot longer have done a lot worse on personal explanations. The member for Corangamite has made her point and showed where she has been misrepresented. She has shown what her true position is and she will conclude her explanation.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just in relation to Alcoa, I have also fought very hard for Alcoa workers and have worked—

Opposition members interjecting—

I would like to put this on the record. This is an important point.

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

The member for Corangamite has made her point. She may make that more broadly in the adjournment or in another form of the House. She has concluded this point.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do, as leader of the Labor Party.

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

Please proceed.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today in question time, the Prime Minister said that Labor is still providing a tick for this kind of wrongdoing, in reference to the conduct of the former member for Dobell. Labor never has and will not ever condone the conduct of the former member for Dobell.

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

This is argument.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the minister claim to have been misrepresented?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do. This is the first time in seven years I have raised such an explanation against a journalist, in this case Mr O'Shea from the West Australian. In today's West Australian, he writes, on this day of all, that the renaming of the DSTO headquarters as the David Warren centre was a public relations opportunity, that it was a shameless attempt to cash in on the media attention with the loss of the aircraft and that Defence was clueless and did not realise the sensitivity. The timing of the event yesterday, attended by a wide section of the Australian community, was the 60th anniversary of the black box. This began three months ago, with a little 11-year-old girl called Eve Cogan, who began an online campaign, through change.org, to recognise the inventor of the black box by naming Canberra Airport after him. The decision was made to actually name a large building after him. Mr O'Shea did not check with my office. He did not speak to me about it. I think it is poor judgement on his part on this day, of all days, to reflect that a national memorial—of a building—to such a fine Australian should be seen as a public relations opportunity.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I ask the member for Lyons to withdraw the comment he made earlier. He knows what it was.

Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I made no such comment and I suggest that you withdraw your accusation.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There will be silence!

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

I think you were right earlier, Madam Speaker. I think it was a deliberate campaign today to disrupt the parliament.

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

It was.