David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

LEPROUD (—) (): Mr Speaker, I was misrepresented in question time.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you claim to have been misrepresented?

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by the Minister for Education. In his answer, he made an assertion that I did not support the childcare bill that went through here. In fact, the substantive bill was supported by the side.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you claim to be misrepresented?

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do. I was quite badly misrepresented.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You may proceed.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In question time, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy suggested that I as Minister for International Development and the Pacific had not visited the Pacific. From my appointment, after the November 2019 election, on day one—shortly after, with Prime Minister Morrison, I visited the Solomon Islands. I visited PNG multiple times, Tuvalu for a week for the Pacific Islands Forum, Fiji, Micronesia, Tonga and New Zealand several times in my first nine months. In late January of 2020, I was the last Australian government minister or MP out of the Pacific just before the Australian government closed the border. From then on, I had several dozen Zoom meetings instead of visits to the Pacific.

I would say to the minister for climate change: I have visited more countries and spent more time in Pacific island countries than he has, and I'm prepared for him to correct the record if that is incorrect.