Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister and it refers to an answer he gave to the Leader of the Opposition a little earlier in relation to the $10 billion cash splash before Christmas. The Prime Minister in that answer said:

I would ask honourable members to reflect on where retail sales around the world went in the December quarter last year.

If you have collapsing sales, as you had in America, Britain and elsewhere in the retail sector, the huge impact on employment in those economies has already been seen.

I refer the Prime Minister to the Office for National Statistics out of the UK. It says:

Retail sales volume in the three months November to January rose by 1.5 per cent compared with the previous three months.

I ask the Prime Minister to explain the modelling which was the basis for spending $10 billion of Australian taxpayers’ cash before Christmas.

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

If the member for North Sydney thinks that the United Kingdom is some sort of employment bonanza at the moment, I think he needs to read the Financial Times more carefully.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You said it.

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

Can I say to the honourable member that if you look at the employment density—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not what you said.

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

Order! The member for North Sydney has asked his question.

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

of the retail sector in this country and in most Western economies, it is of fundamental importance to support the vibrancy of the retail sector. Now that the member for North Sydney has posed this question, I would ask him to reflect long and hard on whether he was serious about his statement:

The market has made everyday Australians richer than they have ever been—even with this economic downturn.

How out of touch—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister said ‘collapsing sales, as you had in Britain over the December period’.

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

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here is the proof that he—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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 ask that that be withdrawn.

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

Order! There is some disquiet about a comment that was made as I was talking over the member for North Sydney, inviting him to sit down. If there was a comment that caused that reaction, I can only assume that it should be withdrawn. The difficulty for me is that, clearly, I was trying to get the member for North Sydney to sit down and did not hear the actual term that was used. But it might suit the convenience of the House if it was withdrawn, because it was outside of the standing orders in that the member for North Sydney did not have the call and it has caused some disquiet.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw and ask the Prime Minister to correct the record.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on the point of order: it might assist the House for them to know that the opposition would be prepared to make time at the end of question time for the Prime Minister to correct the answer.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, could I enquire of you about when points of order are disorderly, when they are constantly ruled out of order, and—

Chris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a question to Mr Speaker.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now is the time to take it. I am raising a point of order. It appears that the Prime Minister is unable to answer a question without having several points of order taken.

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

I believe I now have two instances to give illustration to a point I wish to make. This is not a time for general discussion about the way in which the House is proceeding, and I believe that both the member for Sturt and the Chief Government Whip’s contributions were in that way. Has the Prime Minister concluded?

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

Yes.

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

On the point of order that was made where it was reflected that I had denied the Prime Minister the opportunity to answer, I am not sure, given that there were two points of order after the conclusion, that we have actually achieved anything. But, again, valiantly, I illustrate this as something that appears to have the disquiet of both sides of the chamber about the conduct of question time. I just wonder when the House, through its processes, might wish to revisit question time.