House debates
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Statements
Personal Explanation
3:11 pm
Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I seek leave to make a short statement, as the Prime Minister has misrepresented me.
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Do you claim to have been misrepresented?
Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Last night, in an extraordinarily misleading speech, the Prime Minister misrepresented me three times. First, he said that I oppose investment in public housing. The Greens in fact secured investment in public housing and are calling for more. Secondly, the Prime Minister said the following:
The Member for Melbourne told the House:
North Melbourne's and Carlton's towers will be the first to go. People will be kicked out of their homes within the next few years. It's wrong to destroy these vibrant and diverse communities. The people there have a right to a home—a public home.
The Prime Minister then misrepresented me and misled the House by going on to say:
That sounds okay except that no-one is there because they're derelict.
In fact, there are hundreds of people living in those towers, and the Victorian Labor government wants to demolish the homes of thousands of my constituents in public housing in North Melbourne and Carlton, with 33 Alfred Street in North Melbourne listed as the first to go.
Thirdly, in claiming that I was incorrect, the Prime Minister told the House:
What we're doing … is upgrading them into more homes for public housing …
And he said:
… people who live in public housing should live in quality public housing—
which he then said that I disagreed with. In fact, Labor has made no commitment to move these residents into public housing, just as I said. In fact, Victorian Labor has said they want non-government and private sector development on the land. In misrepresenting me, perhaps the Prime Minister made a new guarantee to Melbourne public housing residents that there'll be more public housing homes—
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member will come to the conclusion of his misrepresentation.
Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I've got one final paragraph to read.
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
No, you've demonstrated the three instances where you allege the Prime Minister has misquoted you. There's no more scope for you to add additional—unless there are additional areas where you believe that you've been misrepresented.
Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I'll conclude that the Prime Minister is clearly not across his brief—
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Resume your seat. Just so that all members know—and the member has been here for quite some time—it is always a courtesy to let the Speaker know that there has been a misrepresentation. And that may have happened, and I'll check that. Members are always entitled to move an explanation if they've been misrepresented.