Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her statement that the staffer responsible for the Australia Day disturbance at the Lobby restaurant acted alone. Can the Prime Minister explain why staff in her media unit briefed the press gallery on Australia Day that the Leader of the Opposition was responsible for the disturbance when they knew that to be false?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the member's question, it is true to form that we see the opposition throwing around allegations for which they can produce no proof. I have dealt with these matters on the public record and I will deal with them again. Mr Hodges made a very grave error in judgment. He has paid a price for that error in judgment.

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 was not asked about the actions of Mr Hodges; she was asked about the actions of her media unit. That is the question she should be answering.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business is correct. The Prime Minister will be directly relevant to the question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would have thought if the opposition were truly interested then it would wait for the details of the matter—and the details do matter—and making things up does not work. What happened, as I have said publicly, is that Mr Hodges acted alone. He was not authorised in his actions. It was a bad error of judgment and he has paid a price for that. No-one was more angry than me that something to honour people who had done remarkable things in times of natural disaster and other circumstances when Australians needed aid was disrupted. In terms of what Mr Hodges and Ms Sattler said in their telephone conversation, I would refer the opposition to Ms Sattler's statements, which verify that Mr Hodges told Ms Sattler that Mr Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition, had said that people should move on from the tent embassy—

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her seat for a minute. The question asked of the Prime Minister is a very important one and the Prime Minister is entitled to be heard entirely in silence by all honourable members who are interested in the answer that the Prime Minister is providing this chamber.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The comments of the Leader of the Opposition from earlier that morning were accurately relayed from Mr Hodges to Ms Sattler. In the aftermath of the incident, what my staff did was first and foremost ascertain the whereabouts of each of my staff members because I was concerned about their safety. I also personally ascertained the whereabouts of Senator Lundy and Minister McClelland because they were at the Lobby restaurant and, as television cameras spectacularly recorded, we left them behind. So I wanted to know that they were okay. In the aftermath of the incident, that was our first and foremost concern. The allegation that I or anybody on my behalf—

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will be heard entirely in silence and the next person who utters a word while the Prime Minister is providing her answer will, shall we say, experience the provisions of standing order 94(a).

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In terms of anything that I have said about this incident, I do not today and I never have believed, said or thought that this incident arose because of the words of Mr Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition, and that somehow this was his fault. That has never been my belief. The conduct of the individuals involved, which was violent conduct, is the responsibility of those individuals.