PM Transcripts

REPORT FROM COMMl~ ITTEE ON PRIVILEGES MOTION BY PRIME
MINISTER IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON
23RD SEPTEMBER, 19755
" lThat the House agrees with. the Committee that
the advertisement in question involved a breach of
Parliamentary Privilege.
That in the opinion of the House the said
advertisement was also defamatory of the Honourable the
Leader of the Opposition, in that it falsely represented
him as using his parliamentary position to advertise a
commercial product. That while the House accepts the Committee's
finding that the advertisement was published without malice,
and recognises that most of those concerned with its
publication have made suitable apologies, it is of opinion
that it should record its censure of the advertisement and
its reprimand to those concerned in its publication,
namely Mr. Robert Lindsay Abbott, Managing Director
British Motor Corporation ( Australia) Pty. Ltd,
Mr. Peter Fairfax Smyth, Chairman of Directors,
Arthur Smyth Sons Pty. Ltd.
Mr. Keith Rupert Murdoch, Managing Director,
News Limited, " The Australian".
Mr. David Noel Bowman, Managing Editor, " The
Canberra Times"
Mr. Edmund George Alfred Hallett, General Manager,
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate
Pty. Ltd.
Mr. Basil Alfred Williams, Managing Editor,
" The Advertiser".
Mr. Theodor Charles Bray, Editor-in-Chief,
" Courier Mail".
Sir John Francis ' Jilliams, Chairman and Managing
Director Herald and 1-Weekly Times Limited, " Sun
News-Picorial".
Mr. David Ramsay McNicoll Editor-in-Chief,
Australian Consolidated I ress, " Daily Telegraph".
' Mr. George Francis Davies, Chairman of Directors,
Davies Brothers Limited, " The Mercury".
That in the opinion of the House those newspapers
who published the advertisement should publish this
resolution in full."