Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his press conference last week regarding the conduct of the member for Robertson on 6 June at the Iguana bar. Will the Prime Minister assure this House that neither he nor his office nor any of his ministers or their officers were involved in any way in the preparation of the statutory declarations of the member for Robertson’s staff regarding this incident?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was quite clearly not in order and I ask you to rule it as such.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I listened closely to the question. If the question had been directly to do with the behaviour of a member, it would have been out of order. As it has been crafted, it has asked about members of staff. The regrettable bit is that there was mention made of an incident involving a member of parliament, without going any further into it. It then went to the actions of staff. To the extent that it goes to the actions of staff of the Prime Minister, it is in order.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bearing in mind what you have just said, neither myself nor my office provided the member for Robertson with any such advice. I also simply alert the honourable member to this important point. There is a police investigation underway, and, as a consequence of that, we believe it is appropriate that that investigation proceed without political interference.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There has been a long history in this parliament of being able to ask the Prime Minister about the conduct—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am looking for the point of order.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order goes to your statement just before the answer from the Prime Minister.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney can resume his seat. I ruled the question in order. If he wants to debate the other part of it I will simply read from House of Representatives Practice, page 538:

... Speakers have ruled out of order questions or parts of questions to Ministers which concern, for example ... the attitude, behaviour or actions of a Member of Parliament or the staff of Members ...