Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister stand by his answer in question time on 4 June concerning the Bennelong—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Those on my right will sit in silence while others have the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister stand by his answer in question time on 4 June concerning the Bennelong car dealer?

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

As the Leader of the Opposition stands and asks any question in this place, I would ask the entire nation to reflect on what credibility can be attached to this Leader of the Opposition, a Leader of the Opposition who has refused to answer with any basic element of credibility. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that the only responsible thing for him to do in this parliament today is to resign.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is a very straightforward question. This is not an opportunity for the Prime Minister to engage in another tirade of abuse.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The parliamentary secretary and the member for Fadden will get an opportunity to have a discussion outside the chamber. I indicate to the chamber that, even though it is only three or four minutes past the hour, there appears to be an opportunity for me to give an early general warning—which I have not given yet, but I will have it under consideration. Both sides of the chamber, if they really think that these issues are important, will sit in silence.

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

It is interesting that in this first question time today, following the extraordinary events of yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition would immediately seek to try and change tack. The Leader of the Opposition’s entire attack against the credibility of this government has rested on a forged and faked email, a fraudulent document. Therefore, in a desperate attempt, the Leader of the Opposition has sought today to broaden the agenda, to broaden the attack, out to anything else other than the matters for which he has yet to account fully to this House. The matters on which he has failed to fully account to this House are: firstly, what were his and the opposition’s full dealings in relation to this faked and forged email; secondly, what were the opposition’s full dealings—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It was a short, specific question and it should have an equally short and specific answer. Does he stand by his answer on 4 June?

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

To the point of order by the member for Warringah: as I have indicated before, my concern is not about the shortness of the answer; it is about the relevance of the answer. The Prime Minister will relate his material in response to the question.

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

The second question which the Leader of the Opposition needs to answer in this place is as follows: that is, the Leader of the Opposition’s dealings on this matter in relation to the public servant in question.

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 point of order is on relevance. The question could not be more specific—

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

The Prime Minister will respond to the question and relate his material to the question.

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

Once again, the Leader of the Opposition fails to answer these most basic questions: what were his full dealings on the matter of this email and what were his full dealings with the public servant in question? Rather than engage again in the politics of smear, let us have some real evidence here. As I said on the day in question—

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister is defying the chair. You asked him to be relevant. He is refusing your—

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

The Prime Minister will respond to the question and relate his material to the question.

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

Therefore, in response to the matters which have been canvassed in this House, both today and on other days, I would say that the Leader of the Opposition actually needs to not engage in the continued politics of negative smear but to actually ask substantive questions.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

They howl and protest as they seek to take the spotlight off themselves. As I said on the day in question, the representations I can recall in relation to that matter were from a car dealer in the electorate of Bennelong—I remember turning around and pointing to the honourable member for Bennelong. That was the one I can recall; they are the representations that were made by me in that respect. That is consistent with the remarks I made on that day.