Mr MAREK(6.37 p.m.) —Mr Acting Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —Do you claim to have been misrepresented?

Mr MAREK —Most grievously.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —Please proceed.

Mr MAREK —In a press release issued today by the member for Cunningham, the Hon. Stephen Martin, entitled `Coalition MPs squib reef tax vote', he claimed that I:

. . . voted against a resolution in the federal parliament which called for the government to overturn its decision to increase the reef tax . . .

As the member for Cunningham will be fully aware from his experience as the ex-Speaker in the House, the motion—

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —You will need to confine your statement to showing where you have been misrepresented.

Mr MAREK —Stephen Martin claimed absolutely nothing in the press release about the procedural motion requesting the suspension of the standing orders having been allowed. He further claimed that I failed:

. . . at the first opportunity to send a message to their Government and vote in favour of a resolution calling for the reef tax increase not to proceed—they squibbed it.

It is a blatant mistruth. I was not given an opportunity today to vote on anything other than a motion to suspend the standing orders. With that in mind—

Mr Brereton interjecting—

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —Order! The honourable member for Kingsford-Smith will not interject from the wrong side, as much as he would like to be there.

Mr MAREK —The member for Cunningham also stated that I was `anti-Queensland'. That is a most despicable statement to make. I have always lived in Queensland.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —Right. It is untrue.

Mr MAREK —The next point I wish to make is that he said that I was a member of a `Gang of Five'. I totally repudiate the fact that I was a member of a gang of five. That is absolutely incorrect. He also said that I said I would cross the floor. This is a blatant lie.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —No. The honourable member for Capricornia will withdraw that statement.

Mr MAREK —I withdraw the word `lie' and say `untruth'.

Mr Leo McLeay —Mr Acting Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is obviously not a personal explanation. If the honourable member wants us to move that he be now heard, we are quite happy to hear more of this lunacy from him.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —There is no need for you to do that. The honourable member for Capricornia will very quickly close his personal explanation.

Mr MAREK —The other point I wish to make here this evening is that he said:

It is a question of saying one thing for local consumption and doing something else in Canberra where they think their actions can be hidden.

I have worked tirelessly in this parliament.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —No. I do not need to know how hard you have worked. I think you have explained where you have been misrepresented.

Mr MAREK —I have one last point to make. I call on the member for Cunningham to unequivocally withdraw the blatant lies he made.

Mr ACTING SPEAKER —No. Resume your seat.