Ms HANSON (Oxley) (3.20 p.m.)--"I wish to make a personal explanation."Extract from the WEEKLY HOUSE HANSARD Database Date: 31 October 1996 (15:15)
Ms HANSON (Oxley) (3.20 p.m.)--"I wish to make a personal explanation."
Mr SPEAKER--"Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?"
Ms HANSON--"Yes, I do. "
Mr SPEAKER--"Please proceed."
Ms HANSON--"I refer to the attacks on the Singaporean soldiers in Rockhampton. The mayor of the adjoining shire, Livingstone shire, Barbara Wildin, alleged that the attacks resulted from some of Pauline Hanson's statements. I received a fax today from a Mr Sivyer from North Rockhampton. Through his statements and through Win TV, Channel 9 in Rockhampton, the Rockhampton police have also come out with statements saying that the attacks were not racially motivated. Through Mr Sivyer's statement--"
Mr SPEAKER--"We are not going to debate the issue. I think you have responded satisfactorily. You may resume your seat."
Ms HANSON--"Thank you."
Date: 16 October 1996 (04:45)
Ms HANSON (Oxley) (4.46 p.m.)--"I wish to make a personal explanation. "
Mr SPEAKER--"Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?"
Ms HANSON--"Yes, I do."
Mr SPEAKER--"Proceed--without debate."
Ms HANSON--"On Sunday, 13 October the first edition of the Sydney Sun-Herald ran on the front page in quotation marks the words `an Aussie bloodbath'. In a following edition that front-page headline was changed to `an Aussie civil war', again in quotation marks. Those dramatic, sensational and totally invented headlines were based on an interview I conducted with a journalist, Fia Cumming. These headlines were blatant misrepresentations. I will be taking this matter further with the journalist involved and her employers."
"On Monday, 14 October Fia Cumming was interviewed on the Melbourne 3AW breakfast show hosted by Dean Banks and Ross Stevenson. I have obtained the relevant audio tape and transcript from Media Monitors. I have checked the tape against the transcript and they match. In response to questions, Fia Cumming said:"
"Now that is something that a sub-editor has made up and it shouldn't have been as a quote. I never said "bloodbath" and Pauline certainly never said "bloodbath".
"I never used the words `an Aussie bloodbath' or `an Aussie civil war'. I only wish that certain people had done their homework before they attacked me. "
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