Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to give a personal explanation.

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

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

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

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

You may proceed.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In question time today, the Prime Minister said:

… I texted him from the plane when I was going on that leave and told him where I was going …

Mr Speaker, that is not true. On 15 December 2019 at 9.44 pm, the Prime Minister did text me saying he was going on leave. He did not tell me where he was going. He said he was going with his family. I kept that text message confidential, as you do with private text messages between private phones.

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

The Leader of the Opposition needs to show where he has been misrepresented.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the Friday, he disclosed in an interview with 2GB that he had texted me, and that was the first time that that became public. But at no stage did he tell me where he was going.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Where I was going was on leave. That was the importance of the text message sent to the Leader of the Opposition. He knew I was taking leave. I told him I was taking leave. He chose to politicise that and has done so ever since.

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

We now have another personal explanation—hopefully my last personal explanation!

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the member for Hughes claim to have been misrepresented?

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Too many times to mention, Mr Speaker.

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

The member for Hughes has the call.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week on 17 November the radio station 2GB, during their news bulletin broadcast, issued the following statement: 'Former federal MP Craig Kelly will spend the night in custody. He will face court tomorrow, charged over an alleged migration fraud racket.' This is untrue. I can confirm that I did not spend the night in custody. I confirm that I did not face court over an alleged migration fraud racket. It appears somehow that 2GB have substituted my name multiple times for that of the former, disgraced Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Secondly, on the same day, Business News from Western Australia published the following statement online: 'Former Labor MP Craig Kelly could face time in jail after being charged as the primary facilitator of "migration fraud scheme"'. This is false. In addition to the personal explanation I've given above in regard to 2GB's broadcast, I've never been a Labor MP.