Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise to inform the House that I have been defamed and wrongly accused—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member wish to make a personal explanation?

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I have been grossly misrepresented.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House that I have been defamed and wrongly accused in a letter to the editor published on page 10 of today's Bundaberg NewsMail. The letter was written by Stephen Beiger of Burnett Heads. I quote directly from the letter:

Will Keith Pitt ask Tony Abbott whether he can get the $20,000 Michelle Landry spent on travel rorts for her family using taxpayers' money? After all, her website declares she is a "firm believer in giving back to the community" and it will not be new money being spent, just refunded public monies illegally used by a politician.

The author then goes on to suggest that the $20,000 would be better spent on a memorial in Bundaberg. The author, Stephen Beiger of Burnett Heads, and the Bundaberg NewsMail have completely got the wrong person. This statement is untrue and defamatory. I table this newspaper letter and make these points.

Point 1: I have never been involved, investigated nor accused of a travel rort. Point 2: I have never spent $20,000 on travel expenses for my family. In fact, I table my parliamentarian's budget usage report, regarding family reunion pooling, that clearly states that this letter published today is completely false. Point 3: there is no such incident and no moneys to pay back. Point 4: as a politician, I have never used taxpayers' money illegally. This letter represents a great slur. I stand by my reputation as someone of high integrity and who stands up for Capricornia.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have made your point, Member for Capricornia. You did seek to table two documents. Is leave granted?

Leave granted.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do, indeed.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member may proceed.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again today the Deputy Prime Minister and transport minister suggested that we were not being true in saying that, as minister, the Gateway WA project began construction on 1 February 2013. Indeed, he might want to check with the member for Swan, who was there at the opening. I seek leave to table the documents in order to make my contribution short.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We had this difficulty yesterday when people said during question time that they had been misquoted or misrepresented. I did suggest that it would be better if members waited until they saw the Hansard and then came into the chamber and quoted the Hansard.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have done that, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have the Hansard from today?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We tape question time in my office very efficiently. The minister referred to the member for Grayndler and referred to my statements. I seek leave to table this.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the Deputy Prime Minister have a point of order?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, he is claiming misrepresentation when there was no misrepresentation. I acknowledged that he had a sod-turning ceremony. I acknowledged that publicly in my answer, so he has nothing to reply to.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are clearly going to get into the situation where one is going to say, 'I have been misrepresented,' and then the rejoinder is going to be, 'I have been misrepresented.' This is not a game of ping-pong; it is a serious business. So you have made your point. Have you completed it?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have, Madam Speaker, but I sought leave to table this.

Leave not granted.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday the Minister for Social Services gave an answer to a question about the National Rental Affordability Scheme. In that he made a number of claims about the National Rental Affordability Scheme and my stewardship of that scheme when I was the housing minister. The first claim was that this scheme, which is taxpayer subsidised to provide low-rental dwellings for the low-paid workers of Australia, in this particular case had not been used to house low-income workers of Australia but had been used for up to 1,500 international students. In fact, on the minister's own figures fewer than eight per cent of tenants are overseas students; the other 92 per cent are low-income workers, sole parents, pensioners, families, local students and the unemployed.

The minister's second claim is—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It would assist the parliament if members of the opposition studied how to give a personal explanation. What the deputy leader of the Labor Party is doing is not showing where she has been misrepresented, but instead attempting to argue the point that the minister raised yesterday.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the point of order. The member for Sydney is in fact arguing a point of view, saying that on her numbers she believes that you can draw different conclusions. That is argument and not a point of personal explanation.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very clearly quoting the minister.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would say to the deputy leader that a misrepresentation has two parts: (1) to show where you believe you have been misrepresented, and then (2) to show why that is wrong. But you may not put an argument that simply says, 'I argue that a different interpretation should be put upon it.' That is argument and you can choose a different form of the House in which to argue those points—I think the adjournment. Quite frankly, it is not in order at this stage. Do you have a second one?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I will move to the next claim that the minister made yesterday. He said:

So instead of providing for workers, it is providing for the investors and the developers …

In fact, the last published data showed more than 64 per cent of those who reported their employment status were low-income workers.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

An opposition member: These are facts!

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well he said they were not for low-income workers, and they are for low-income workers.

An opposition member: The facts speak. It is a fact.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, the deputy leader is basically admitting that the minister was right, but she disputes the percentages of who benefited or did not benefit.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is also argument.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a factual explanation or misrepresentation, and it is quite out of order.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

You are no good at it, Tanya!

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, you made a request after question time yesterday that members collect the Hansard so that they are able to quote precisely so as to make sure that this process can be done as precisely and clinically as possible. The deputy leader has done exactly that.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order that the Manager of Opposition Business has just made is quite correct. The deputy leader is reading from the Hansard; correct. But where the problem with her explanation lies is in saying why it is wrong. She is presenting an argument, not simply a statement of fact.

Opposition members: These are facts!

No, it is a simple—

An opposition member: These are simple facts!

The SPEAKER: If you listen to the way in which the member for Grayndler presents a personal explanation, you will get a good example of the way it should be done. Quite frankly, you are now entering into the field of argument and it is out of order. I suggest you utilise the adjournment debate to make the argument points.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, yesterday the minister said, 'The targets set by this scheme by the Labor Party, by the Labor government, have simply not been met.'

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat! It is not in order. I suggest the adjournment is available—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You go and learn how to do the job properly!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or a 90-second statement or a three-minute statement—but not here.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are not listening to it.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I listened to it earlier.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, this is a different—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a third one?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a third one.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All right, the third one we will hear.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, yesterday the minister said, 'The targets set by this scheme by the Labor Party, by the Labor government, have simply not been met.' In fact, the target was to increase the stock of low-income housing. It has increased the stock of low-income housing by 14,000 so far, and there are 24,000 more on the way. I have a further personal explanation to make today.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It had better be better than the first two.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, that sort of commentary—really!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will remove himself under 94(a).

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can talk. You're a disgrace!

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You just stay out of the chamber!

The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have to have some order in this place. We have had a breakdown in decorum today, and we will not have any more of it. We will deal with this point and then we will move on to papers.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, today the Minister for Social Security criticised the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan's provision of public housing. He referred to me as 'hapless' and so I am pointing out to you—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is argument.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

where he has—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is quite out of order and the member will resume her seat.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

The member will resume her seat! To stand there and say you are giving a personal explanation when you are complaining about the use of a piece of grammar is just out of order. I am sorry; you are not misrepresented with an adjective. Now we will go on to papers.