Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, what impact will $40 billion of additional infrastructure spending have on the projected budget surplus?

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

There are two things you can do with a surplus. One is to spend it on consumption, which is what they did, and that produces inflationary pressures. The second thing you can do with a surplus is save it for investment. That is what we are doing.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can’t do both! You can’t save it, then spend it—you idiot!

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the member for Dickson, once again, is asked to withdraw.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Call him an idiot and you get a kick!

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

Order! The member for Canning is not assisting. If the member for Canning is in some way outing the expression that was used, I would need to ask for the withdrawal—because I did not hear it. The fact is that there was a reaction. Again, I am assuming that something was said. It would assist the chair if the member for Dickson were to withdraw unconditionally.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I think it would assist the House if the Leader of the House would specify precisely what it was that he was taking issue with.

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

I am usually reluctant to take that course of action but, if there is such an invitation, I would ask the Leader of the House to respond.

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

The member for Canning has already outed the member for Dickson, Mr Speaker.

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

Order! The member for Dickson will withdraw.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: if every word that is uttered in this place needs to be withdrawn because it gets a reaction, we would find that Hansard would be blissfully blank. This is ridiculous. We are being asked to withdraw words when we do not know what the words were, you do not know what the words were and the Leader of the House does not even want to say what the words were. Surely we can get on with the business of the House and get over these stunts.

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

Order! The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. Regrettably, this is an area of practice that is not an exact science. My explanations of last week do not seem to have helped me along the way. But these matters are in the context of what happened last week in the case where, without wanting to embarrass the member involved, the member did not have the call and there was nothing happening but me about to give the call to a questioner. That meant that the threshold was lower. Similarly, these were remarks that were apparently heard by those on my right and some on my left when the member for Dickson was returning to his place. Without asking for the word to be used on and on, I stand by the call that I would ask the member for Dickson to withdraw so that we can proceed.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: if I am correct in understanding your ruling, we are now in the area where—like the Salem witch trials—if someone makes a claim on the other side and there is a reaction we are expected to withdraw it. Can I humbly suggest that we move on with the business of the House. Requiring the member for Dickson to withdraw something when nobody actually knows what it is is ludicrous and reflects poorly on the House itself.

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

Order! The member for Sturt will resume his seat. I ask the Leader of the House to identify the offending word.

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

It goes to the context, which is that every time the member for Dickson asks a question he interjects on the way back to his seat. He knows that he declared an insult across this chamber. If he chooses to not have the integrity to withdraw it, let that be on him, Mr Speaker, but I have already indicated to you that you correctly identified the member for Canning as having outed the words used by the member for Dickson.

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

I ask the member for Dickson to withdraw.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I accept that you have made a request of the member for Dickson—and that is fair enough—but I also believe that in the process of doing this the Leader of the House has accused the member for Dickson of a lack of integrity. That is a very serious offence. I think it is insulting. I would ask that, once the member for Dickson has withdrawn, the Leader of the House similarly withdraw, given the circumstances now pertaining in the House.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the Leader of the House defied your ruling and I cannot see how the punishment he avoids can be then placed upon the member for Dickson if he further defies your ruling. We cannot have rulings on the run.

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

I ask whether the member for Dickson is prepared to withdraw.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, for the convenience of the House, I withdraw.

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

I thank the member for Dickson. The Leader of the House used the words, ‘If the member for Dickson did not withdraw’, and I am satisfied that that concludes this episode—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Because the member for Dickson has withdrawn and therefore, by definition, he has shown integrity. I am satisfied that that is the end of the matter, and I call the member for Flynn. I am satisfied that the member for Dickson has done the honourable thing.

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

Mr Albanese interjecting

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

I ask the Leader of the House to get that on the record.

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

I withdraw.

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

I thank the Leader of the House and I thank the member for Dickson, and I thank now the chamber for their cooperation.