Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the Treasurer’s letter dated 10 May about the government’s advertising campaign decision made on 20 April asking for it to be exempted from the usual guidelines. Between 20 April and 10 May, were the government’s mining ads referred to the government’s Independent Communications Committee? If not, why not? Prime Minister, if the ads were referred, why were they rejected and, if they were not rejected, why was an exemption necessary?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. As I said in response to one of her questions yesterday, the government in the early part of last year decided internally we would be embarking upon an advertising campaign to support fundamental tax reform. Secondly, on the question of expediting that campaign, we took that decision on the basis of the information which was contained in the correspondence between the Treasurer and the Special Minister of State.

In terms of the internal deliberations of the committee in relation to this matter, I cannot enlighten the minister in response to her question. I can say to her, though, that when the previous government was looking at a $256 million advertising campaign—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister has answered the question, and now all he needs to do is tell us if he will come back to the House today and tell us the answer.

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

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

When the previous government was doing its $256 million, or thereabouts, public advertising in 2007, guess who was on the ministerial communications committee—the member for Farrer.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With great respect, the question was very specific, as you have asked us to make them. The Prime Minister has indicated that he does not know the full answer, but will he report back to the House before the end of question time, rather than—

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

The member for Sturt will resume his place. He cannot add an addendum to the question.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! I should ignore interjections, but the first part of the previous point of order was a statement that the Prime Minister had answered the question. So we have to get a bit of consistency. The Prime Minister understands the responsibility that he has to be relevant to the question, and he relates his material to the question. I will listen carefully to where he is headed now.

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

The only point I was seeking to add to my answer was that the member for Farrer is well qualified in these matters as she was a member of the ministerial advisory group of the previous government which approved $256 million worth of advertising in 2007, including more than $50 million on a Work Choices campaign. I understand where her priorities really lie.