Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

Leave granted.

In an article published in the Weekend Australian on Saturday entitled 'O'Connor silent on tugboats' it was reported that I was not willing to comment upon the Port Hedland dispute. This was a complete misrepresentation of my reply to a question at the AMMA conference in Perth on Friday. In fact, in reply to the question I said:

It is incumbent on parties to sit down and resolve differences.

And I added:

We'd rather see resolution rather than any conflict.