Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, 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 standards of ministerial ethics. I ask the Prime Minister: does he really expect the Australian public to believe it is appropriate for a Prime Minister, who receives from the taxpayer free of charge two houses, several cars, chauffeur driven Comcars and travel on Air Force jets, to also receive another free car from a car dealer who is seeking finance from a taxpayer funded finance company with the help of his own Treasurer?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Let it be known that this is the day that the Liberal Party hauled up the white flag on the economic policy debate. Let it be known that, barely two weeks after the budget, this is the day that the Liberal Party hauled up the white flag on the economic policy debate for the nation and instead decided to go the low road. We have moved from the politics of fear to the politics of smear. Unfortunately both of these things are traditional strengths of the Liberal Party. We have seen them deployed in the past; it seems we will see them both deployed in the future.

I noticed that, in the question just posed by the honourable member, he referred to an official residence, Kirribilli. I seem to remember that Kirribilli was used for a particular purpose by the Liberal Party and their office. It was called fundraising. I remember also that when it came to official establishments in general they were used for fundraising purposes. The Lodge and Kirribilli were used to fundraise for the Liberal Party. They were used to derive funds to support the election or re-election of members represented on those benches opposite. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: does he regard that as an appropriate standard?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The question has been asked and the Prime Minister is responding to the question.

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

I also draw the attention of the Leader of the Opposition, given that he is now such a high custodian of the standards of this place as reflected by his contributions in many fields prior to coming to this place, that on the question of the official establishments, which he just drew attention to in his question, the decision that my wife and I have taken in relation to Kirribilli is to throw it open for charitable fundraising. I would simply make as a point of contrast that on a regular basis charitable organisations use Kirribilli to raise money for charities which deliver services to Australians in need. Mission Australia and others are there every month or so, raising money, deservedly, for deserving organisations. It seems that the definition of a deserving organisation, when those opposite were in power, was called the Liberal Party.

Australians expect in this time of global economic crisis that we actually engage in a debate about the future of the country, about people’s jobs and whether they have got security of employment, about small businesses struggling to get finance, about car dealerships trying to stay afloat and about businesses out there in the economy trying to secure finance for their operations. This government has acted with every peak industry body in the country—the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Australia; the Australian Industry Group; the small business organisation, COSBOA; and those bodies representing other industries across Australia—and do you know why? It is because we are in the business of making a difference for people at a time of extraordinary economic duress. We have a positive plan for the country’s future. We intend to build the Australian economy up, and I say to those opposite: you are seeking to talk the economy down.