Member's Remarks

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (15:14): Once again this week, I have to use an opportunity to speak in this place to correct a deliberately misleading false statement which has been made about me by the member for Stuart in this place. You will recall, Mr Speaker, we went through this only yesterday.

First thing yesterday, I sought to make a personal explanation to correct the record after I was deliberately misrepresented by the member for Stuart. In the course of doing so, you will also recall that my remarks were subject to repeated points of order from both the Deputy Premier and the member for Stuart in an effort to interrupt my efforts to correct the record. To the partial credit of the member for Stuart, after I was finally allowed after your rulings to say my piece (as the standing orders afford me the opportunity to) and correct the record, the member for Stuart said, 'I think I said the right thing, but if it turns out I said the wrong thing I will come in here and correct the record.'

The member for Stuart, not two hours later, did come into this place and did correct the record. In fact, it was less than an hour later that he came in and corrected the record. He said at that time, 'I am advised by my office that the transcript I was given and based my answer on was inaccurate', and he admitted he had misrepresented me in this place in the comments. Remarkably, less than an hour ago again today, the member for Stuart did exactly the same thing again, remarkably about the same interview which I gave on the same radio station on the same day.

Mr Speaker, something is going on here. Either the member for Stuart has not read the transcript himself which he is basing two different contributions to parliament on, on which he has now misrepresented me twice, and it is a genuine mistake made out of his ignorance, or it is a deliberate attempt to smear me and misrepresent my comments in this place. If his explanation yesterday in correcting the record is to be relied upon for this misleading statement he has made about me, that he was reading from a document that was given to him by his office, it is getting to the point where taxpayers need to know who it is in his office who is deliberately providing him this incorrect information. Is it his Chief of Staff, Dominic Kelly? Is it his two ministerial advisers?

Who is repeatedly making sure that the wrong information is getting out into this place?—because it needs to stop. I am a member of parliament, one of 47. I have limited opportunities to speak in this place and represent those views of my constituency that seek to be aired in this place. I should not have to take opportunity after opportunity to clean up after the member for Stuart and his deliberately misleading statements. I would ask that he come in here—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lee will resume his seat. Mr Clerk, please stop the clock for the benefit of the member for Lee and I will make sure that he has ample time to complete his grieve. I have listened now to several references to 'deliberate' or 'deliberately', and I indicate to the member for Lee that, if he is making an allegation as to deliberate misconduct by a member, then he ought to do that by substantive motion.

If he is referring to the technical matter of the deliberate handing to the member of material to which the member has then faithfully referred, then that may be another matter, but I will be listening very carefully, member for Lee. I indicate that there is another means available should the member for Lee indeed pursue the first of those meanings. The member for Lee has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Mr Speaker, we went through this yesterday. Yesterday, I was advised that a personal explanation is not the forum to be raising these matters; the forum is during a grievance contribution—and here we are in a grievance contribution and once again I am being told that this is not the forum for it. It is getting to the point now where we on this side feel that there is nothing we can do, nothing we can say in this place which will not raise your ire, which will not cause us either to be silenced or counselled or removed from the chamber.

I appreciate that we have had an election in this place that has caused you to be in the position of Speaker. Mr Speaker, I would urge you to reflect seriously on the responsibilities that you have to be fair and impartial in this place. It is not just the government that relies on your role as Speaker; it is the rest of the chamber as well, whether it is opposition or crossbench. These rules that we have—these standing orders, these little green books—apply to all of us equally. There are not those who are placed first before others.

When it means that we cannot ask questions in question time because points of order are repeatedly raised, which you uphold, which cause us to have to change our questions, yet when we raise the same point of order about government questions which are being asked in question time no points of order are upheld, it starts to feel like there is one rule for some and another rule for the opposition. That means that we cannot do our job.

Mr Speaker, you would know as well as I that people have fought and even died for the rights we enjoy in this parliament. I would hate to see or hate to feel that you in your adjudication of this chamber are wiping your feet all over those traditions, rights and privileges that should be upheld.

Time expired.