Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. Minister, why is it that you signed a letter, dated 6 June 2008 and addressed to me as the member for Sturt, in which you advised me of a grant in my electorate to a veteran organisation based in Brisbane Water? Is the minister not aware that Brisbane Water is not in South Australia? It is, in fact, almost 2,000 kilometres away on the Central Coast of New South Wales, in the electorate of Robertson. Could it be that the minister was too afraid of the member for Robertson to advise her of a grant in her electorate?

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

The last part of the question is out of order.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You would think the honourable member would know—although this seems to indicate that he does not—that, when we are dealing with large-scale programs in government, letters are electronically generated and the details are provided through the department in order to ensure that the details are provided to the groups. They are electronic signatures.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Billson interjecting

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In those circumstances, as the member for Dunkley would know, this is a standard process employed by the department. It has been employed on more than one occasion in the past—and is certainly what occurred in his ministry—for grant programs of this nature.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The question has been asked and it is getting a response.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This gives me an opportunity to say that this government is very proud of what it is doing to assist veterans in our community. This government fully supports providing assistance to communities and ex-service organisations through the grant programs provided by my department. Those departmental funds are provided on behalf of the government to very many important groups.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Robert interjecting

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

Order! The member for Fadden will, first of all, withdraw the comment that he made.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

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

Now he will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a) for one hour. He was warned earlier in the day.

The member for Fadden then left the chamber.

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. I wonder about action against advisers in the box handing new members, who perhaps do not know better, their notes—which is what occurred—and whether that is assistance for disorderly conduct.

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

I hope that there will be a review of the practices between the advisers in the box and those they are assisting. I think there should be some care in the way in which things occur.

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

The process that exists is that advisers—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The usual and preferred process is that advisers should pass messages via the attendants.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question I have to ask the member is: is he serious about informing groups in his own area or is he just trying to score a cheap political point?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The question has been asked and it is getting a response.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If he were serious about ensuring that these matters were handled correctly and sensitively then he might have raised this with me privately. He chose not to and he sought to make a grubby political point. This is not the first time for that side of the House, as we can tell from the interjection before provided by someone in the advisers’ box. But, once again, these things sometimes happen.

The programs we are talking about here provide excellent support to the ex-service community. They are certainly welcomed on this side of the House. If they are not by that side of the House, they ought to make that clear. I am very proud to be the minister delivering a budget on behalf of this government at a record level, building on the commitments we made in opposition that were belatedly endorsed by the now opposition when they were the government.