John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I want to add to an answer I gave to the member for Banks, who asked me a very important question relating to issues of housing and land affordability.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Is it in order for the Prime Minister to add to an answer to a question that he was not given—to a question that he was not asked?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I call the Chief Opposition Whip.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the question was about the rate of mortgage repossessions—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. He knows that the Prime Minister is in order in adding to an answer to a question. The Prime Minister is in order. I call the Prime Minister.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to help the member for Banks.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call. I call the Chief Opposition Whip on a further point of order.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I apologise, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Prime Minister adding to an answer, but the question was not as he described it. It was about the rate of mortgage repossessions.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Chief Opposition Whip would be well aware that I have given the Prime Minister the call. It is an indulgence that the Speaker gives. The Prime Minister is in order. I call the Prime Minister.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In adding to the answer that I gave to the member for Banks, I want to draw on some comments made by a person whose comments have been described as ‘golden’ by the Leader of the Opposition—namely, the retiring Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Mr Ian Macfarlane. Mr Macfarlane, in giving testimony to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics, Finance and Public Administration, was asked a number of questions about housing affordability. He was asked one question by the member for Moncrieff, and in part answered—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, perhaps for your benefit, I seek leave to table the question that was asked. I am seeking leave.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned that if he does not resume his seat immediately, I will deal with him.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can’t seek leave?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order and the member for Grayndler will not continually interrupt him.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member wishes to seek leave, he will do it at the end of the Prime Minister’s answer, not before. The Prime Minister has the call.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answering the question asked by the member for Moncrieff, the governor had this to say:

The second question—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and I think the member for Banks is interested in this—

is a more interesting one—that is, why has the price of an entry-level new home gone up as much as it has? Why is it not like it was in 1951—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They laugh; 1951 happened to be the year of the highest home ownership—

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order which goes to the question of relevance. This is adding to an answer.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has been called on indulgence to add to an answer. He is speaking to matters related to mortgages and repossessions, which I believe were the thrust of the question. The Prime Minister is in order.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The governor said:

The second question is a more interesting one—that is, why has the price of an entry-level new home gone up as much as it has? Why is it not like it was in 1951 when my parents moved to East Bentleigh—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You stuffed it up.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Lilley is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will repeat that sentence:

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will remove himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Grayndler then left the chamber.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He now gets to ask the questions and answer them.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley will also remove himself under standing order 94(a).

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He stuffed up and he’s abusing the procedures—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley is named!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

EZ5Abbott, Tony, MP—I move:

That the member for Lilley be suspended from the service of the House.

Question put.