Amended Answers to Oral Questions — Question No. 5 to Minister, 24 October

I seek leave to correct an answer I gave yesterday.

💬 SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? [Interruption] Order! There is no objection.

Yesterday, uncharacteristically, I erred. When answering a question on behalf of Minister Phil Twyford, I was asked when I became—and I was speaking as if I was him—aware of the Prime Minister’s clarification that there would be no additional regional fuel taxes while she was Prime Minister. As I was speaking on behalf of the Minister, and not myself, the correct answer should have been that I, speaking as the Minister, was aware of this clarification yesterday morning. It was a matter of mixed personalities.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. A personal explanation is, generally, to clarify a situation. What’s still not clear here is the time line. Now, is Mr Jones going to elaborate a little more on that—

No. No, he’s not. I think he made it clear. Yesterday, he said, “When the Prime Minister said it in here.” Now, he has said, “It was in the morning”.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: He said “yesterday”, Mr Speaker.

Yesterday morning. In fact, let’s get that absolutely clear now: when he was saying “yesterday”, did he mean yesterday, or yesterday from yesterday?

For absolute lucidity, I am referring to yesterday, today being Thursday, and the period of time I am referring to is at some point during the course of yesterday’s morning.

Thank you. Is that clear now?