Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

T hat so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving immediately —

That this House calls on the Treasure r to explain to the Parliament w hy :

(1) he falsely stated on ABC Radio on 20 May 2011 in relation to the removal of a concessional rate of iron ore royalty by the Western Australian Government that "Mr Barnett did not communicate that he was going to do this to us… But what Mr Barnett has done here is just very strange. He didn't communicate with us about this move in this budget. He didn't get our tick. He didn't discuss it with us."

( 2 ) he failed to disclose that in early 2010, Western Australian Treasury officials advised the Commonwealth that WA proposed to remove this concessional royalty rate.

( 3 ) he failed to disclose that on 10 May 2010 the WA Treasury wrote to the Commonwealth Treasury advising that the WA Government proposed to remove this concessional royalty rate.

( 4 ) he failed to disclose that on 17 May 2010 the Commonwealth Treasury provided a brief to the Treasurer advising that WA proposed to remove this concessional royalty rate

( 5 ) he failed to disclose that on 17 May 2010 he gave a press conference in which he acknowledged that WA was "looking at very substantial increases in the royalties"

(6) he failed to disclose that on 17 May 2010 he gave a speech in which he stated "We're prepared to talk further with state governments who might have been making their own plans to capture a fairer share of resource wealth through lifting royalties."

(7) he failed to disclose that the minerals resources rent tax costings prepared by Commonwealth Treasury assumed a state royalty rate of 7.5%—which is the iron ore royalty rate in WA with the concession removed.

(8) he failed to disclose that in February 2011 he directed the Commonwealth Grants Commission not to modify its methodology in response to WA's proposals to remove concessional royalty rates.

(9) he failed to disclose that on 18 May 2011 the Chief of Staff of the WA Premier telephoned the Treasurer's Chief of Staff to advise that WA would be removing this concessional royalty rate in its Budget on 19 May 2011; and

(10) after these examples of evidence that he was aware of WA's proposal to remove this concessional royalty rate, that he stated on radio that WA had not communicated its intention to do this?

Can this government give a straight answer to a straight question?

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the House.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.

The House divided. [15:17]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question negatived.

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

I move:

That Mr Abbott be granted an extension of time.

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

It can only be extended by five minutes. Question put.

The House divided. [15:26]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question agreed to.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the House for this extension of time. I particularly thank the crossbench members of parliament for their support in this matter. May I simply say: the government's efforts to gag this debate show just how desperate they are. It is urgent that standing orders be suspended.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. I refer to your ruling in the last week of the last parliamentary sitting in which you ruled that in a motion to suspend standing orders the speaker must address the issue of why it is urgent that standing orders should be suspended.

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

Order! I thank the Leader of the House for reminding me of such a great ruling and I am sure that the Leader of the Opposition is going to keep that in mind, but he has just started.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is urgent that standing orders be suspended, because nothing could be more important than the Australian people and the Australian parliament understanding whether the ministers in this government are capable of giving a straight answer to a straight question. Nothing is more urgent for this parliament than to consider this vital matter. Last Friday, the Treasurer was asked a very straight question on national radio. He knew that Western Australia was going to increase its royalties. They gave you a lot of advance warning.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The Leader of the Opposition is going to the substance of the resolution he moved before the parliament. He must address the question of why standing and sessional orders should be suspended.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! Those interjecting are just not helping at all. The Leader of the Opposition is aware of his responsibility to actually speak to the reasons for the suspension of standing and sessional orders and not to the motion that would then be put.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is absolutely urgent that the Treasurer has this matter cleared up before the parliament proceeds to anything else, because nothing could be more important than the question of whether this Treasurer is capable of telling the truth and whether this Treasurer did, in fact, tell the truth to the Australian people last Friday. This is very urgent, Mr Speaker. In response to a direct question, the Treasurer said:

Well first of all Mr Barnett did not communicate that he was going to do this to us.

We now know that this was absolutely false and this is why standing orders should be suspended—because the veracity of the government is just about the most important issue that any parliament can determine. This is the most important matter before this parliament. What we now know is the reason that standing orders should be suspended is so the Treasurer can finally clear this up. This is why standing orders should be suspended. It is absolutely necessary—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Leader of the Opposition is straying from the question before the House. He is speaking about an issue that should be addressed by a substantive motion of the House not by a suspension of standing orders.

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

Order! I am listening carefully to the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition will speak on the reasons for the suspension of standing orders. Is the motion seconded?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the time for the debate has expired.

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

I second the motion and I add here: nothing could be more urgent than dealing with a Treasurer who lies to the Australian people and does it in parliament.

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

Order! The time allotted for the debate has concluded.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. I ask that the member for North Sydney withdraw those remarks.

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

Order! The member for North Sydney will withdraw.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. What we have seen from this government today is a deliberate attempt to gag discussion in this parliament on an extremely important matter. Given the behaviour of the government, I put it to you, Mr Speaker, that under the special circumstances that pertain in the parliament today, it is not right that the shadow Treasurer should be asked to withdraw.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He has been asked to. It is right.

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

Order! The Minister for regional Australia and the arts and all sorts of other things should sit there quietly. To assist the proceedings of the House, I have invited the member for North Sydney to withdraw.

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

Mr Speaker, I put it to you that during the Leader of the Opposition's five-minute extension the Leader of the House did absolutely everything in his power to ensure that the Leader of the Opposition did not have the chance to fulfil his time. He raised four points of order. I think that, with due respect to you, Mr Speaker, I would ask for your indulgence to the member for North Sydney given the extraordinary obfuscation and tactics that have been run by the government today to stop this being debated. I would ask you on this occasion to not ask the member for North Sydney to withdraw.

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

Both the member for Sturt and the Leader of the Opposition have not made points of order; they have made a point and it is on the record. Regrettably, as in many contests, provocation is not a defence and I have invited the member for North Sydney to withdraw. I have appreciated, and I do appreciate it today, that I had a member of the opposition frontbench withdraw without me having to invite her. I am simply inviting the member for North Sydney to withdraw because I wish to get on with proceedings which are going to be fairly sensitive. The next part of proceedings will be very sensitive and I would appreciate closure on this point.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, we have noted your remarks. I am reluctant to continue this discussion, but I just wish to register, before this matter is concluded—and it will be concluded with honour by the shadow Treasurer—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Order! The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's a thug.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. Before we deal with the matter before me with the member for North Sydney, the member for Berowra, who as the father of the House knows better, will withdraw.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw reluctantly.

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

I would prefer it without qualification but I thank the member. The Leader of the Opposition will come quickly to the point. He is getting the type of allowance that leaders get from time to time, and I think he appreciates that.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand and appreciate that, Mr Speaker, but the whole point of the debate which has been gagged by the government was to establish the issue about which you are now requiring the shadow Treasurer to withdraw. So it is only because—

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

The Leader of the Opposition has made his point.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the government has gagged debate that the shadow Treasurer felt the need to make that statement.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

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

I withdraw.

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

I thank the member for North Sydney.

Honourable members interjecting—

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're still a liar, Swannie.

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

The member for Dawson will withdraw.

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

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

Mr Speaker, in due fairness to the House, as I also called the Treasurer a liar, I also withdraw.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The House will come to order. I will not be giving the call to anybody until we resolve certain matters that are not before the chair. At the moment we are still in question time.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, in fact as it is past 3:30, under the standing orders we are not still in question time and we have not yet resolved the question that is before the chair, which is the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition and, indeed, seconded by the shadow Treasurer. That question must be resolved.

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

Order! Pleasantly, for once I was correct. It appears that I am the only person in the chamber at the moment, I suspect, that actually knows where we are at. The first thing is we are still in question time because I do not have, and the House does not have, a motion before the chair because the motion was not stated before the conclusion of time for the debate. People might actually listen to me when I say that there are sensitive matters that I am wishing to go to, over and above a withdrawal, on which I ask for cooperation. But there is nothing before the chair because the time allotted for the debate expired before I put the question. So I am in question time.

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

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be put on the Notice Paper.