Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition is laughing now. Here is his big attack on national security—'Oh, it's so hard-hitting!' He's such a serious man! He's prime ministerial material! And in the middle of a question time on national security he is laughing. It is just a game to you, isn't it? Your demeanour shows it. The fact that you are laughing shows it. The fact that the shadow minister who asked the question is spending the answer looking up at the press gallery and laughing shows it. The chatter across the opposition shows it. It has been a game all week, and in this question it is transparently a game. You have come into this parliament suggesting something is worthy of inquiry and report when you have got absolutely no knowledge of its truthfulness.

To the shadow minister: if he genuinely thinks this is worth the time of the inspector general then he should submit it to her. When he does that he should say to her: 'I know nothing about it. I read it in the newspaper. I don't know who the source of the complaint is. I've got absolutely no knowledge about it. I've got no concern about it. But I played a little question time stunt with it, so I'm forwarding it through.' That is the degree of concern of the opposition about national security matters. Gee, at the end of the week it's pretty embarrassing for the opposition it's come to this!

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