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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Prime Minister from immediately coming into the House and debating the Leader of the Opposition for a period of no less than one hour on Australia's involvement in the war in Iraq including:

(a)

the Prime Minister’s false basis for Australia’s decision to go to war in Iraq;

(b)

the Prime Minister’s misuse of intelligence material to justify his decision to send Australian service personnel into active duty in Iraq;

(c)

the Prime Minister’s failure to articulate a clear cut mission statement for Australia’s continued participation in the war in Iraq;

(d)

the Prime Minister’s failure to develop a clear cut exit strategy from the war based on that mission statement;

(e)

the Prime Minister’s refusal to explain to the Parliament and the people of Australia his strategy for winning the Iraq war;

(f)

the Prime Minister’s attack on the alternate administration of the United States of America and majority party in the United States Congress as Al Qaeda’s party of choice; and

(g)

the Prime Minister’s lack of guts and courage in refusing to accept the Leader of the Opposition’s challenge to a nationally televised debate on Labor’s plan to bring our troops home and the Prime Minister’s plan to leave our troops in Iraq indefinitely.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that parliament is the forum for debate. Come on down—

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.

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

Is the motion seconded?

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Guts and courage mean fronting—

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.