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Hansard
- Start of Business
- MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL 2002
- PROCEEDS OF CRIME BILL 2002
- PROCEEDS OF CRIME (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2002
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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Telstra: Service Charges
(Lundy, Sen Kate, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Telstra: Service Charges
(Tchen, Sen Tsebin, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Fuel: Ethanol
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Commonwealth Government: Leases
(Mason, Sen Brett, Abetz, Sen Eric) -
Taxation: Collection
(Cook, Sen Peter, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
United States: Security Policy
(Bartlett, Sen Andrew, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Business: Corporate Governance
(Ludwig, Sen Joe, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Health: Hepatitis C
(Harradine, Sen Brian, Patterson, Sen Kay) -
Business: Corporate Governance
(Conroy, Sen Stephen, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Rural and Regional Australia: Drought Assistance
(Macdonald, Sen Sandy, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Business: Corporate Governance
(Wong, Sen Penny, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Science: Funding
(Stott Despoja, Sen Natasha, Alston, Sen Richard)
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Telstra: Service Charges
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
- PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
- SUPERANNUATION: COMMERCIAL NOMINEES OF AUSTRALIA LTD
- PETITIONS
- NOTICES
- BUSINESS
- NOTICES
- LEAVE OF ABSENCE
- DRUGS: EDUCATION PROGRAMS
- ENVIRONMENT: MINING WASTE DISPOSAL
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TRADE PRACTICES AMENDMENT (PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE) BILL 2002
CORPORATIONS AMENDMENT (IMPROVING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE) BILL 2002
TRADE PRACTICES AMENDMENT (CREDIT CARD REFORM) BILL 2002 - FOREIGN AFFAIRS: INDONESIA
- ABORIGINALS AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS: 2001 CENSUS
- COMMITTEES
- FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (DISABILITY REFORM) BILL (NO. 2) 2002
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EGG INDUSTRY SERVICE PROVISION BILL 2002
EGG INDUSTRY SERVICE PROVISION (TRANSITIONAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2002
DAIRY INDUSTRY LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2002
ACIS ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT BILL 2002
STATES GRANTS (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSISTANCE) AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2002 - BILLS RETURNED FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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PROCEEDS OF CRIME BILL 2002
PROCEEDS OF CRIME (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2002 -
WORKPLACE RELATIONS AMENDMENT (GENUINE BARGAINING) BILL 2002
WORKPLACE RELATIONS AMENDMENT (SECRET BALLOTS FOR PROTECTED ACTION) BILL 2002 - ADJOURNMENT
- DOCUMENTS
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QUESTIONS ON NOTICE
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Tasmania: Meander Dam
(Brown, Sen Bob, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Human Rights: Hazaras
(Brown, Sen Bob, Ellison, Sen Chris) -
Transport: Ocean-Going Vessels
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Agriculture: Animal Health
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Aviation: Arrivals from South Korea
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Civil Aviation Safety Authority: Listening Devices
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry: Visit to Japan
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Rural and Regional Australia: Farm Crime Survey
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Foot and Mouth Disease Steering Committee
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Trade: Genetically Modified Food
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Quarantine: Container Inspection
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Trade: United States Beef Quota
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Drought: Investment Allowance
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Agriculture: Farm Innovation Program
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Transport: Bass Strait Vehicle Equalisation Scheme
(Brown, Sen Bob, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Sustainable Environment Committee
(O'Brien, Sen Kerry, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Agriculture: Organic Farming
(Brown, Sen Bob, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Indigenous Affairs: Noongar Land Council
(Harris, Sen Len, Ellison, Sen Chris) -
Transport and Regional Services: Superannuation
(Sherry, Sen Nick, Macdonald, Sen Ian)
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Tasmania: Meander Dam
Page: 4623
Senator FORSHAW (3:33 PM)
—I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
Leave granted.
Senator FORSHAW
—In an article in the Australian Financial Review last Friday a serious misrepresentation was made regarding me. The article appeared in a column entitled `Rear Window' which is edited by Jane Boyle. I wish to quote briefly from the article to explain the misrepresentation and the untruth that has occurred. It is entitled `For his next party trick ...' and in part it reads as follows:
Trouble seems to follow new federal Liberal MP David Tollner.
I will leave out the next couple of sentences. Then it says:
His latest adventure was at the Canberra watering-hole The Holy Grail, where he found himself in dispute with Labor Senator Michael Forshaw. One observer had a glass of wine knocked out of their hand, prompting—
and then another member of parliament is named—
to step in to break it up. Things didn't get any better after that and it wasn't long before there was another near-brawl, this time with—
and then it mentions another member of parliament. The concluding sentence reads:
The member for Solomon was reluctant to comment to our operative about the events of the said night.
This article has been picked up on the crikey.com site and repeated but with some embellishments. Firstly, the caption reads: `Biffo, Canberra style' and I quote it in part:
If even the Rear Window column of the august Fin Review is—as it did last Friday—reporting biffo, Canberra style, then Crikey can only follow the trend. Here is the full story about what happened with Dave Tollner—
then it mentions another member of parliament, not me. It continues:
Tollner was enjoying a drink at the Grail with, of all people—
and it mentions another MP—
Senator Conroy
—Name, names—come on!
Senator FORSHAW
—I do not intend to name names. I do not want to be repeating an allegation which may or may not be true about other members of parliament. It is certainly not true about me. I will read that again:
Tollner was enjoying a drink at the Grail ... when he got into a spot of pushing and shoving with New South Wales Labor Senator Michael Forshaw that saw a drink belonging to the Member for—
and then it mentions another member of parliament. This is totally untrue as far as it involves me. I do not know when this incident is alleged to have occurred, but I was not there. I can make it very clear that I have not been to the Holy Grail bar for quite a long time. I certainly was not there on the night that this alleged incident occurred and I certainly was not involved. It is grossly untrue. This was drawn to my attention by a business colleague of mine last Saturday when my wife and I were attending a community function with the Premier of New South Wales. I have to say that I was rather astounded to be told that there had been an article in the paper alleging that I had been involved in some fight at a tavern here in Canberra.
Senator Faulkner
—I did not think for one minute that it would be you.
Senator FORSHAW
—Definitely! The article said:
The member for Solomon was reluctant to comment to our operative about the events of the said night.
At no stage did the editor Jane Boyle or anyone else contact me to try to verify the story before it was printed. I must say that since then I have had a number of people raise the issue with me and also inquiries from the media. I was not involved; it did not occur.