House debates

Tuesday, 23 March 2021

Personal Explanations

3:13 pm

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

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 Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Yes.

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

Please proceed.

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Moreton claimed that it was my legislation that led to the current situation with First Australians. The complete and utter opposite is true. There were 700 people employed in Indigenous housing. All houses were built exclusively by local Indigenous labour. Your government, member for Moreton, abolished the scheme and wiped out 740 jobs—

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

No, the member for Kennedy needs to go to where he was misrepresented.

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Right. Well, he said that it was my legislation.

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

And you've made that point.

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My legislation was abolished, and I'll be very specific: the land legislation, which they called—I'm embarrassed because I had nothing to do with it really—the Katter leases, was for freehold inalienable type of leases. I doubt whether a hundred leases have been granted since the legislation, my legislation, was overturned. So he's wrong on every single count as far as house building goes, as far as land ownership goes and as far as jobs go. We were sailing, and they sunk the ship. They sunk the ship.

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

The member for Kennedy has made his point where he was misrepresented.