Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I find it interesting also that, apart from the prime ministerial protection order issued by the Leader of the House, the Prime Minister has cut and run from the chamber altogether on these matters. I find it remarkable that a government of courage and a Prime Minister of courage have to hide behind such procedural devices to avoid accountability.

There is a big problem with the argument advanced by the Prime Minister today. The Prime Minister’s conspiracy theory runs along these lines: after a press conference I conducted at Queanbeyan yesterday, I came back into this chamber and organised through my office an exclusive interview with Laurie Oakes. That is the proposition; the Prime Minister just put that. There is a little problem with that conspiracy theory, because Laurie Oakes came and saw me yesterday morning before I went anywhere near Queanbeyan. Laurie Oakes came to my office to put these particular matters which had been put to him. So the prime ministerial conspiracy theory is that we have a press conference out at Queanbeyan—

See this speech in context