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

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his interview on ABC radio this morning about the OzCar scandal, when he was asked three times how many—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! The member for North Sydney has the call.

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

I thought the Prime Minister was asking the question there, Mr Speaker! I will start again. I refer the Treasurer to his interview on ABC radio this morning about the OzCar scandal, when he was asked three times how many car dealers he had spoken to on the phone. The Treasurer answered three times:

Well it’s a matter of public record that I spoke to Mr Grant.

Doesn’t this interview simply confirm that of 240 car dealers in need of assistance, the Treasurer personally spoke to only one—John Grant, from John Grant Motors?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is pretty clear they are going to get right down in the gutter today—again. Yesterday they ran out of questions in the House. It was so embarrassing. They tried to shut themselves up four times. It was so embarrassing—they ran out of questions.

I made it very clear that I have spoken to Mr Grant. I spoke to him for about two minutes. It is very clear from all of the evidence that other car dealers received the same, if not better, treatment than him. That is the story. But every time the Leader of the Opposition or the shadow Treasurer gets up in this House and asks those sorts of gutter questions with the intent of smearing the Prime Minister and me, it absolutely shows that the opposition has no credible leadership, no plan for the economy and no plan for jobs in our community.