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

Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the member for Gorton claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Most grievously and bizarrely. In multiple news stories this week, including today, I have been depicted as the Leader of the Nationals and the Deputy Prime Minister of the country. Now, it's true to say my mother's a McCormack, but that's where the similarity ends! Whether it's the subconscious desire of News Ltd to raise the standard of policy and quality of leadership, I don't know! But I want to assure my constituents and, indeed, members in this place—especially the actual Deputy Prime Minister and, I guess, the member for New England—that nothing in the world would entice me to leave the great Australian Labor Party for the climate-change-denying rabble that is the Nationals.

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

I thank the member for Gorton for that. Whilst he wasn't happy, I'm sure the Deputy Prime Minister was tempted to make a personal explanation as well!