17.6.13 Personal Explanation

Thursday, 20 June 2013

 

 

Mr HAWKE (Mitchell) (15:09):
Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

The SPEAKER: Does the
honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

 

Mr HAWKE: Yes, I have been misrepresented.

 

The SPEAKER: The
member for Mitchell has the call.

Mr HAWKE: During debate on 5 June 2013 the Attorney-General said:

The member for Mitchell also made the claim during debate that
the government has committed $21.6 million to a campaign to support the yes vote
at the referendum. This is simply not true. What the government has committed
to—and this is set out in the budget papers—is $10 million to fund a neutral,
non-partisan civics education campaign.

 

What I said was absolutely true, and
today the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport released a press release
where he announced $10 million for the yes case, not for a non-partisan civics
campaign, as the Attorney-General said. So, when I made my remarks to the House,
I fully and accurately represented the situation in relation to the government's
commitment.