Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the continuing attack on the Australian Federal Police by the member for Moreton. I also refer to the member for Moreton’s claims last night that the AFP is engaged in a high-level political conspiracy with the Queensland government to bring him down. How much longer will the Prime Minister remain silent in the face of the member for Moreton’s escalating attack on the integrity and independence of the Australian Federal Police?

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

I am delighted that the good name and reputation of the member for Moreton has been established as a result of the announcement made by the Director of Public Prosecutions. I extend the same expression of delight to the member for Bonner, a person of complete integrity and great decency. Both of these gentlemen bring to their constituencies of Moreton and Bonner, in the city of Brisbane, high-quality, energetic and far-sighted representation. I take the opportunity afforded to me by the member for Brisbane to say those things about them.

I would point out to the member for Brisbane that in relation to this matter I do not intend to take a leaf out of the book of the Queensland Premier and use parliamentary privilege to make prejudicial comments on charges—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

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

When the possibility of these investigations was first raised, no charges had been laid. Yet the Queensland Premier, under parliamentary privilege, made an attack on the character of the member for Moreton, the member for Bowman, the member for Bonner and the entire Queensland division of the Liberal Party. I remember what Peter Beattie did. He got up and traduced, under parliamentary privilege, the reputation of my three colleagues and the reputation of my party in Queensland.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Snowdon interjecting

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

The member for Lingiari is warned!

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

In those circumstances, the member for Brisbane has the nerve to ask me to rebuke a man who has waited for six months to have this matter dealt with—you have an absolute nerve to ask a question like that.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order going to relevance. The question asked was about the AFP. The Prime Minister is yet to refer to the AFP.

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

The member for Brisbane will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

Let me make this clear: at no stage while these investigations were going on did I use parliamentary privilege to say anything about the matter. In fact, I told all of my colleagues that under no circumstances should any pressure be placed on the Australian Federal Police.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

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

The member for Jagajaga is warned!

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

I told my colleagues that the Federal Police should be allowed to carry out this investigation without let or hindrance from me or anybody in the federal government. While I was doing that, your mate Beattie was using parliamentary privilege to try and destroy the reputation of my colleagues. And you have the nerve to ask me to repudiate my colleagues. It shows the standards of the Queensland Labor Party.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members are holding up their own question time.