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

I have a question to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her revelation on the Four Corners program that she was unaware that her staff were drafting an acceptance speech two weeks before she ousted the former prime minister, to her insistence that she was unaware that a member of her staff have helped initiate a riot on Australia Day and to her apparent ignorance of the multiple contacts between her government and Fair Work Australia over the investigation into the member for Dobell. If the Prime Minister has been left in the dark about these matters, how can the Australian people have any confidence that she should hold the office of Prime Minister?

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

I think it really does say everything about the mode of the opposition today that there was a chant of 'boring' from the opposition backbench when Minister Collins was speaking about closing the gap and employment prospects for Indigenous Australians.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

They are the kinds of achievements for our nation that the government is focused on while the opposition trawls through the gutter making things up, pursuing a logically inconsistent line of argument—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will absent himself from the chamber under the provisions of standing order 94(a) for one hour. I have asked the member to remain silent. The member continued to interject. The Prime Minister has the call.

The member for Sturt then left the chamber.

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

Despite the relentless negativity of the opposition, I and the government are focussed on the job of keeping the economy strong, of building a stronger economy for the future and of looking after working families. No amount of muckraking or trawling or irrelevancies will distract us from that path. The muckraking—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As we have all been made aware, the new paradigm requiring direct relevance—

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

The member will come to her point of order.

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

is that 'directly answering' it directly means addressing the substance of the question. The Prime Minister is refusing to answer by talking about muckraking—

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

The member will resume her seat. I ask the Prime Minister—

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

I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. Although the microphone had been, quite rightly, turned off, the member for Mackellar continued, in her vitriol, to make a statement that was quite clearly unparliamentary. She should withdraw.

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

The member for Mackellar.

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

I seek your guidance, Mr Speaker. If it is unacceptable to describe 'muck' as being relevant to the government of the day, why then is it all right for the Prime Minister to keep referring to 'muckraking'. I merely said, 'She is standing in that muck.'

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

It all depends on the context. To use the word 'muck' in one way can be quite different from using it as part of the word 'muckraking'. Quite often the chair must consider the context in which terms are used. The honourable member for Mackellar would assist the processes of the House if she would withdraw that term.

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

Mr Speaker, I will withdraw but I am interested in the term 'muckraking' as distinct from 'standing in muck to rake it'. Would you also define that?

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

The member has withdrawn and the Prime Minister has the call.

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

As to what very little substance the member's question had: first, there is a Fair Work Australia investigation in progress. That investigation is proceeding—as verified by the General Manager of Fair Work Australia today—independently and without political interference. End of that campaign by the opposition. Second, the opposition through their legal spokesperson wrote to the Australian Federal Police about matters associated with Australia Day, which they have raised in this parliament today. They wrote to the Australian Federal Police and as recently as last night, in Senate estimates, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police said that they were responding to that correspondence. What the opposition wanted is actually occurring.

In those two circumstances, they have what they wanted—the Australian Federal Police and a Fair Work Australia independent investigation, verified today as proceeding without political interference. I ask the opposition: what is all of this about except the cheapest of political point scoring from an opposition that day after day is unable to come into this House and spell out an economic plan. It cannot come into this House and spell out plans for working families and it cannot come into this House and spell out a budget that would have the vaguest hope of ever adding up.

Mr Randall interjecting—

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

The member for Canning is skating on extremely thin ice.