Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I have a question about some conduct of the Leader of the Opposition during question time. After the Prime Minister had given an answer to one of his questions, I think, wherein the Prime Minister quoted certain remarks from the ASIO director-general, the Leader of the Opposition stood up and then just proceeded to read a whole range of additional quotes from an interview that the director-general had given. There are obviously, within the standing orders, a range of opportunities for the Leader of the Opposition to take a different view about quotes that the director-general may or may not have said. He could do a follow-up question, he could do a substantive motion, which he realised a little later in question time, or he could do a number of other things. But I ask you: is there any basis on which the Leader of the Opposition was in order to simply stand up after the Prime Minister had given an answer and read from a document, the origins of which are unknown?

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