House debates

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Personal Explanations

3:09 pm

Photo of Stuart RobertStuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Stuart RobertStuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | | Hansard source

Most egregiously.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Fadden may proceed.

Photo of Stuart RobertStuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs and this House know full well that the insinuation that the member for Isaacs made in the House has been well investigated and well cleared by the AFP, the AEC, the ECQ and any other agency that those opposite have referred it to. No amount of mudslinging will clear the stench that currently covers the Labor Party on this issue. The member for Isaacs knows it. The Labor Party knows it.

3:10 pm

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

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Yes.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition may proceed.

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

Today in question time the Leader of the House repeated yet another false allegation about me regarding my time leading the Australian Workers' Union. As was explained in today's Australian, the claim was false. No rules were broken; no conflict existed. I am advised that the reporting error was corrected. This is nothing more than an inaccurate and undergraduate smear from a minister who is fiddling while weekend penalty rates for 700,000 Australians burn.