Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I refer to reports that the minister told the former president of Kiribati:

I know why you're here. It's for the cash. For the Pacific, it's always about the cash. I have my cheque book here. How much do you want?

On Wednesday in question time the minister 100 per cent denied making that statement, but on Thursday she couldn't recall the complete conversation but apologised anyway—and yesterday the minister was again in denial. How can the minister not remember what she said and at the same time be 100 per cent confident she didn't say it?

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question. We've got so much to talk about in this place. We on this side have achieved an awful lot for the economy and also for the environment.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The way that the conversation was reported by Patrick Dodson was incorrect. I said that in the past—

Opposition members interjecting—

Because of the words that were used.