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

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Tony Smith (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

I do.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

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

Today in question time the Prime Minister claimed that I wanted to 'create a terrorist picnic in Syria by dropping food parcels'. What I have said on the record is that about 11½ million people, just under half the Syrian population, have been forced to flee their homes, including millions of women and children. Australia can and should be doing more to help victims of Daesh in Syria and in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. To say this is calling for food drops to Daesh is a threadbare lie, which I corrected yesterday.