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Thursday, 18 August 2011
Page: 8610

Mr HUNT (Flinders) (15:28): Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Mr HUNT: Indeed.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Flinders.

Mr HUNT: During question time today the Prime Minister asserted that I had supported the use of taxpayer funds to purchase foreign carbon credits as part of the coalition's direct action policy to achieve a five per cent emissions reduction. This is incorrect. Firstly, the direct action policy at page 14, as released on 2 February 2010, expressly rules that out. Secondly, the Prime Minister quoted the Press Club speech of 10 February 2010. I will quote the full text:

… every dollar spent in achieving the 5% or 525 million tonnes target will be spent on reducing emissions in Australia.

Thirdly, the Prime Minister referred to the 11 July 2011 press conference with Mr Abbott. I will quote again from that. The words were:

And the only other point on that is we would spend Australian taxpayers' dollars in Australia.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister with both references refused to complete the reference and each expressly, clearly and absolutely rules out spending Australian taxpayer dollars overseas on foreign carbon credits.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member has made his explanation.