Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1)notes the Minister for Human Services assisted Nimrod Resources during a trip to China in August 2014 by:

(a)participating in a signing ceremony to seal a mining deal between Nimrod Resources and a Chinese state-owned company;

(b)presenting what have been described as a "medal" from the Prime Minister and a "letter of appointment" to an official of the Chinese state-owned company; and

(c)meeting with the Chinese Vice-Minister for Land and Resources accompanied by executives of Nimrod Resources;

(2)further notes that:

(a)before he travelled to China in August 2014, the Minister for Human Services did not advise Australian officials that he was to meet with the Chinese Vice-Minister for Land and Resources accompanied by executives of Nimrod Resources;

(b)the Government is refusing to disclose whether Defence security protocols were breached by the Minister while he was in China;

(c)the principal of Nimrod Resources, Paul Marks, has donated more than $2 million to the Liberal Party in the past two financial years; and

(d)the Minister for Human Services has already admitted to the House that he was travelling in a personal capacity when he assisted Nimrod Resources during his trip to China, and therefore, his actions were a direct breach of Clause 2.20 of the Prime Minister’s own Statement of Ministerial Standards; and

(3)censures the Prime Minister for failing to enforce his own Statement of Ministerial Standards and sack the Minister for Human Services.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we will allow the Leader of the Opposition to keep his own leaves in his own lettuce and not take a leaf out of that lettuce, and we will not be giving leave.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted or not?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order. The Leader of the House has already been warned. We are in a situation now where the government has done what no previous parliament has done. Every one of these resolutions gets gagged. He cannot shut down debate and then use points of order in that way and get away with it.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the Manager of Opposition Business to resume his seat.

Mr Mitchell interjecting—

Mr Champion interjecting—

The member for McEwen has already been warned. The member for Wakefield will not interject when I am making a ruling. I remind the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House about some of the language. I have pointed out the language in the Leader of the Opposition's question. I have not warned the Leader of the House; I have asked him to cease interjecting. The Leader of the House should have come to the point on leave being granted or not granted—and I am going to ask him to state whether leave is granted or not granted in the second—but I will say to the Manager of Opposition Business that I am allowing free flowing, robust debate, and if the Manager of Opposition Business wants me to pick up on every instance he will find that there have been a number that I did not pick up, particularly in preambles to questions, including from the member for Sydney yesterday. I am going to ask the Leader of the House to simply state whether leave is granted or not granted.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Go to the dispatch box and do it!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari is warned.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith—

That the House:

(1) notes the Minister for Human Services assisted Nimrod Resources during a trip to China in August 2014 by:

(a) participating in a signing ceremony to seal a mining deal between Nimrod Resources and a Chinese state-owned company;

(b) presenting what have been described as a "medal" from the Prime Minister and a "letter of appointment" to an official of the Chinese state-owned company; and

(c) meeting with the Chinese Vice-Minister for Land and Resources accompanied by executives of Nimrod Resources;

(2) further notes that:

(a) before he travelled to China in August 2014, the Minister for Human Services did not advise Australian officials that he was to meet with the Chinese Vice-Minister for Land and Resources accompanied by executives of Nimrod Resources;

(b) the Government is refusing to disclose whether Defence security protocols were breached by the Minister while he was in China;

(c) the principal of Nimrod Resources, Paul Marks, has donated more than $2 million to the Liberal Party in the past two financial years; and

(d) the Minister for Human Services has already admitted to the House that he was travelling in a personal capacity when he assisted Nimrod Resources during his trip to China, and therefore, his actions were a direct breach of Clause 2.20 of the Prime Minister's own Statement of Ministerial Standards; and

(3) censures the Prime Minister for failing to enforce his own Statement of Ministerial Standards and sack the Minister for Human Services.

It is time for this do-nothing Prime Minister to do something. He must sack the minister. How many Liberal ministers in their own time are wandering around the world squiring Liberal donors to meet with Chinese dignitaries? It is not the job of this government to back in its donors and to hide the minister. He should go.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I will put the Leader of the Opposition out of his misery and move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will not give commentary when I have asked him whether leave is granted or where he is seeking the call. The question is that the Leader of the Opposition be no longer heard.

Is the motion seconded?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. He needs to be sacked. Everybody knows it and the Prime Minister cannot make a decision. We have got a Prime Minister incapable of making a decision—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the Manager of Opposition Business be no longer heard.

The question now is that the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just very briefly—I will not detain the House for long—the reason the government is obviously not entertaining the suspension of standing orders is: how can the House consider this matter—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition on a point of order—knowing that the Leader of the Opposition or, in fact, any member is entitled to speak on the motion.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not when this Leader of the House is in the parliament, they are not. He gags absolutely everybody else.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I just thought that the House might like to know why—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. Before I call the Manager of Opposition Business: he knows well my attitude to frivolous points of order. I call the Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. He will state the point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will move the procedural motion, if this is what we have come to. I move:

That the question be put.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business has moved that the question be put.

Question agreed to.

The question now is that the motion for the suspension of standing orders be agreed to.