STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Deputy Leader of the National Party) (13:57): 'My word is my bond.' That's what the Prime Minister told us. But we know we have a prime minister who just can't be straight with the Australian people. Australians are still waiting for the $275 reduction in their power bills.

The Prime Minister promised 97 times. The Prime Minister also told Australians 50 times before the election that he wouldn't change the tax rules. And then when the Prime Minister fell off the stage, he said, 'No, I didn't fall off a stage.' Last month he even refused to apologise for his crass melon jokes that were directed towards the Japanese Prime Minister, because every time this Prime Minister stuffs up we hear the same pattern of behaviour: an outright denial followed by attempts to divert attention to something else.

We've seen it again this week. The Prime Minister has denied he knew about his $1,100 honorary membership of the Marrickville Golf Course, which received a $6 million grant. He attempts to divert attention by saying it was only worth $5.

Is the Prime Minister seriously saying his local golf club thinks so lowly of him they gave him a $5 membership? Why did the Prime Minister hand back the $1,100 honorary membership Marrickville Golf Club but kept the Royal Sydney Golf Club membership, which would be worth about $30,000? Australians have worked this prime minister out.