Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement of no more than one minute.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In question time today Senator Canavan answered a question and stated, in response to Senator McLucas, 'I have never suggested that the renewable energy target should be scrapped, as you suggest in that question.' In an Australian opinion piece of 19 August 2014, Senator Canavan wrote:

As an economically damaging protectionist policy, the RET should be removed.

I would ask the minister to correct the record.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Without having that opinion piece in front of me, I remember very strongly going on in that article and suggesting that it should be grandfathered for existing users. I did not say 'scrapped' at all. Therefore it would not have been removed, because in that opinion piece I suggested that it should be ended and closed for new participants.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order, I am not sure whether you gave leave to the minister to respond. If the minister wants to consider the piece—if that is what his request of the Senate is—the opposition will accede to that. But the contribution just then is not consistent with what is on the public record in the opinion piece.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, in fairness to the minister, you have raised the issue, quite fairly. The minister did get to his feet. What would normally happen is that, when a minister has become aware that, potentially, there may have been a misleading comment or a comment that is inaccurate in a minister's statement, a minister would normally come back to the chamber at the earliest opportunity to correct that. I think it is fair for the minister to at least have an opportunity to review records before he does make any form of correction, if indeed he needs to. So, you have raised it, the minister is aware of it and the minister will have an obligation, if he deems it necessary, to come back and correct the record, or indeed he may want to do that now by leave.