Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister, as the senator has accurately quoted, was quite right. He did not call for a vegemite watch, and nor did I. I had an unsolicited request from a journalist who tried, time and time again, which has been recorded. She said, 'Will you ban vegemite?' I said, 'No, don't be stupid.' 'Will you do this, will you do that?' We talked about the precursors to misery; we talked about detergent; we talked about restrictions on petrol. We talked about the great work that had been done by CAYLUS in actually itemising normal processes of life, issues around detergents, paint and other substances used in chroming. You learn the lesson in this game of who to talk to and who not to talk to. I will not be speaking to that journalist again. I have never said that, and there is no evidence to say that I have said any such thing.

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—