Mr ABBOTT (Leader of the House) (3:26 PM) —Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

The SPEAKER —Does the Leader of the House claim to have been misrepresented?

Mr ABBOTT —Yes.

The SPEAKER —Please proceed.

Mr ABBOTT —Mr Speaker, it has just been claimed by the member for Lalor and others that I have misled the House. Let me reiterate precisely what the position is. The safety net benefit per person in the electorate of member for Grayndler was $591, the highest in New South Wales.

Ms King interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order!

Mr ABBOTT —For the benefit of the member for Lalor, the safety net benefit in the electorate of Sydney was $589, the second highest—

Ms King interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! The member for Ballarat is warned.

Mr ABBOTT —and the benefit in the electorate of Lowe was $458, the third highest. I table the relevant documentation.