Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Let's start at the end and work backwards. The Manager of Opposition Business won't be surprised to know that the last part of the question is completely out of order. Asking ministers things that aren't their responsibility, whether they're attending a fundraiser or going through their diary, is completely out of order. I made that point yesterday, and I'm not going to allow questions to wilfully keep restating it so that I then have to make exactly the same ruling. That is completely out of order.

When it comes to the part about whether he has met with bank victims from the royal commission, he's not responsible for the royal commission. The only part of the question that may well be in order is the part about his responsibilities as Assistant Treasurer with respect to financial services, but even in that case I make the point that as the Assistant Treasurer he's not the primary minister—that, in fact, is the Treasurer, who has overall responsibility. If someone wants to tell me I'm wrong on any of that, I'm happy to hear—

An honourable member interjecting—

One point I'm very certain of from all the time I have been in this place is that assistant treasurers are subordinate to treasurers—sorry, Assistant Treasurer, but they are. Yes, Manager of Opposition Business?

See this speech in context