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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Sturt moving immediately: That the Prime Minister be called on to explain:

(1) why the interests of the members of the Health Services Union come second to the Prime Minister’s interests in keeping the Member for Dobell in Parliament;

(2) why the Government won’t require Fair Work Australia to co-operate with the New South Wales and Victorian police fraud squads investigating into the member for Dobell;

(3) whether the Prime Minister agrees with the unconscionable delay in Fair Work Australia’s investigation into the Member for Dobell;

(4) why the Prime Minister or any of her Ministers will not refer the Fair Work Australia inquiry into Health Services Union Number 1 branch to the Australian Taxation Office or the Director of Public Prosecutions for further study as to whether its former officers are in breach of any Commonwealth laws;

(5) whether the links between her government and Fair Work Australia and the communications between her office, her Ministers and their staff with Fair Work Australia have tainted the investigation into the Member for Dobell; and

(6) whether the Prime Minister will accept the vote of the Member for Dobell should an adverse finding be made against the Member for Dobell by Fair Work Australia.

Standing orders should be suspended and this matter given absolute precedence in the House today because this is a Prime Minister who is clinging to office with the support of the tainted member for Dobell, and her failure to act means that the taint that infects the member for Dobell now infects her and her government.

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

Order! This is not a motion against the honourable member for Dobell. It is a motion to suspend standing and sessional orders. The honourable member cannot cast a reflection, as he has, on the honourable member for Dobell. He will withdraw.

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

I withdraw, Mr Speaker. And the reason this motion should be given precedence over all other business is painfully transparent to the Australian public and to everybody other than the members of the Australian Labor Party. The Prime Minister should be called upon to come into this House and explain how it is that what everybody knows to be true about her government—that it relies on the vote of the member for Dobell to remain in office—can continue to be the case, sapping the very confidence the Australian people can have in a Prime Minister and a government that rely on such a tainted vote.

Let us look at the undisputed facts in this case. The BDO Kendalls report, an independent report, found that the member for Dobell had been engaged in inappropriate spending and that he was likely to have breached industrial laws by taking his then wife on 19 flights and by his failure to question seven credit card transactions for adult services totalling $5,000.

We have the Fair Work Australia report into the HSU branch No. 1 that was released on Friday that found that officers acted in a manner designed to secure a private advantage and were improperly using their positions to gain a personal advantage. It found that spending of $5,000 of members' money to gain experience and knowledge for the political campaign of Barack Obama was regarded by officers of the Health Services Union as justifiable spending. Fair Work Australia found that spending on officers to send them to a wedding was regarded as appropriate spending—

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

Order! The member for Sturt will resume his seat.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am reluctant to intervene, Mr Speaker, because I know you feel uncomfortable with the contribution by the Manager of Opposition Business. If he wants to make these accusations against the member for Dobell, he needs to do so by way of substantive motion. If he wants to do that, of course he will be required—

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

The honourable member will resume his seat. I am listening closely to the honourable member for Sturt. However, he has to be aware that he is not talking to the substantive motion; he is talking to the suspension motion. So he should focus on that, which he has not. The member for Sturt continues to have the call.

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

The reason standing orders should be suspended and this matter given precedence is that there is nothing more important to a Prime Minister and to her government than to have the trust of the Australian people. The reason this matter should be debated over all other matters is that the Australian public cannot have any faith or trust in a Prime Minister or a government that relies on the vote of the member for Dobell to stay in office. What I am doing in my presentation today is outlining how it is that the member for Dobell is so tainted by the Fair Work Australia investigation—

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

Order! The honourable member will resume his seat. The call is withdrawn. Is the motion seconded? I call the honourable Deputy Leader of the Opposition—

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker—

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

and, before she gets the call, I will ask the member for Sturt to return to the dispatch box to withdraw the reflection on the honourable member for Dobell.

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

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker; I second the motion. It is vital that standing orders be suspended to provide the Prime Minister with the opportunity to explain her ongoing solidarity with the member for Dobell and her confidence in him, given the findings of a report that was handed down last Friday and the findings of a report from BDO Kendalls which she has in her possession, and whether she supports the decision of Fair Work Australia to refuse to cooperate with the New South Wales and Victorian fraud squads' investigations into the member for Dobell. And, as was apparent from the minister for employment, aka the minister for union bosses, extraordinary answers in question time, it is necessary for the Prime Minister to explain how it is that the minister for employment can say, 'We are certainly going through that report,' and 'We are certainly drawing it to the attention of the regulatory authorities to which we can,' and then, when he was asked in a later question, 'To which regulatory authorities?' he denied he had even said it. The Prime Minister must come into this House and explain how it is that the Prime Minister can still be so unconcerned with the members of the Health Services Union, particularly given the findings of the HSU No. 1 branch investigation handed down this week.

It was not always the case that the Prime Minister was unconcerned about such matters. In fact, the Prime Minister gave a speech in this House some years ago warning about the evils of credit cards. This demands an explanation from the Prime Minister. With a degree of prescience, the Prime Minister said in that speech:

… we really need to look at what causes people to have credit cards …

Well, the members of the HSU would want to know what caused the member for Dobell to have seven credit cards funded by their union dues which were allegedly spent on escort services. And that is why standing orders must be suspended.

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will recall that she is supposed to be talking to a suspension motion.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker. And that is why standing orders must be suspended—so that the Prime Minister can explain why she is not interested in these allegations of credit card abuse when in fact, years ago, it was the subject of a very detailed speech in this House, and I am sure the members of the HSU would be very keen to know why the Prime Minister was once concerned about the abuse of credit cards but, when it comes to their union dues, she is no longer interested. Standing orders must be suspended so that the Prime Minister can reacquaint herself with the concerns that she once had about credit card abuse.

The Prime Minister should also explain how it is that Fair Work Australia can pride itself on its 'efficiency'. In fact, in its latest annual report Fair Work Australia boasted of the quick turnaround in the processing of enterprise agreements. Apparently they take just 22 days from lodgement to finalisation, 15 days for a greenfields agreement and 27 days for more complex agreements, and that is why standing orders must be suspended: because the Fair Work Australia organisation has claimed that, in the case of lodgement of details of loans, grants and donations, there is 100 per cent reporting finalised within 28 days. Well, congratulations, Fair Work Australia, because you have taken 1,000 days to investigate the member for Dobell's credit card misuse! And that is why standing orders must be suspended, so that the—

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

Order! The honourable member referred to 'the member for Dobell's credit card misuse' which is a reflection—

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Alleged—alleged misuse. I have said that before, Mr Speaker.

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

The honourable member will withdraw any reflection on the member for Dobell.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. And Fair Work Australia was created by the Prime Minister. Many of its senior officers were personally appointed by the Prime Minister.

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

Order! The honourable deputy leader will resume her seat.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition now is not only abusing process but also abusing a statutory authority—in my mind an even greater crime than the reflections on the member for Dobell. If she wants to make such accusations she should do so by way of—

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

The honourable Chief Government Whip will remove himself from the chamber under the provisions of standing order 94(a).

The member for Hunter then left the chamber.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister must come into the House and explain how it is that she can hide behind the independence of Fair Work Australia yet has hand-picked from the union movement virtually all the recent appointments. The Fair Work Australia-Labor union family tree, quite frankly, rivals the organisational chart of the five mob families in New York—which can be found at www.mafiafamilytree.com. This family tree of Fair Work Australia requires explanation from the Prime Minister. (Time expired)

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

This is the 49th suspension moved by those opposite and the third attempt at suspension today. I noticed that the Leader of the Opposition would not associate himself with those sorts of tactics by having the Manager of Opposition Business and the Deputy Leader do it. Today the Leader of the Opposition had the Leader of the National Party ask the first question. They started low and they got lower—and they got lower as the day went on. In the last contribution they hit a nadir; they hit the bottom of the pit.

Those opposite will do anything rather than discuss the issues that are of importance to the Australian people, and that is why standing orders should not be suspended. It should not be the case that this parliament gets distracted because those opposite have absolutely nothing positive to say about the economy, about employment, about the environment, about social policy or about the mining boom. And it is on a day when the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill will go through the other place and will become law as a result of that. But they want to discuss anything rather than a suspension of standing orders.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the motion that is before the House is why the suspension of standing orders should be carried in order to debate the motion I moved—a very serious motion about matters to do with the member for Dobell, Fair Work Australia and the Prime Minister's involvement. It was not about the minerals resource rent tax, and there is no basis upon which the Leader of the House could be debating the minerals resource rent tax.

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

Firstly, it is not about the motion he proposes to move if standing orders are suspended. The Leader of the House was straying, and he is aware of that. And he will return to the substance of the suspension motion.

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

I will outline before the House what we should be debating. That is why this suspension motion should not be carried. That is what I will do, and that is what I will do every single time those opposite raise these daily stunts. I was once Manager of Opposition Business, and I sat down in the tactics room in the opposition leader's office day after day. We discussed, when it came to a suspension of standing orders, whether there was momentum, whether it was significant, whether it was a big issue. What we did not do was walk in here with a motion like this one moved by the Manager of Opposition Business—pre-typed out, pre-signed, pre-ordained and with no momentum and no ability whatsoever to get traction. That is why it was not even taken seriously by their own backbench.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will remain silent.

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

So why should we take it seriously on this side of the House? We should not suspend standing orders, because what we should have had was question time. But those opposite had the hide, when earlier on today we were discussing the motions of condolence, to say, 'We'll miss out on question time.' On 13 out of 15 days they have come in here and moved a suspension of standing orders—not on the issue of the day, not on anything in which there was any urgency whatsoever, but just so they could get back into the gutter to do anything whatsoever to avoid debating the economy. This afternoon I would like to have a range of debates that are on the Notice Paper.

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.

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

This had better be a genuine point of order, because I have been listening to the Leader of the House, and he appears to be in order. But I am listening to the point of order.

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

Mr Speaker, with great respect, I beg to differ. He was reflecting on members of the opposition by describing us as 'getting down in the gutter'. And as I was asked to withdraw matters to do with the member for Dobell in which I was accused of reflecting on the member, I regard that as offensive and I would ask you to ask him to withdraw it.

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

I would ask the Leader of the House to assist the House by using more moderate language.

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

Mr Speaker, thank you. The fact is, those opposite have absolutely nothing to say about the economy. They have absolutely nothing to say about the big debates that are before this parliament. Just before question time we passed the safe rates legislation. I was hoping there might be a question from those opposite about safe rates for truck drivers and why it was important. If we had not had this suspension of standing orders moved we might have got it—unlikely, but possible.

I was hoping beyond hope, when the Leader of the National Party stood up at the beginning of question time, that I might get a question. They had been critical about safe rates, which is about justice for those hardworking truckies and ensuring safety on our roads. There might have been a question about the shipping reform that we have got forward. Those opposite are saying they are against that as well. Of course, that is shipping reform that, had we not suspended standing orders, we could have had a question about. I could have explained how we are introducing a zero tax rate for Australian shippers, how we are introducing a tax exemption for Australian seafarers, how we are making sure that the Australian flag can once again be used on the back of Australian ships. But of course those opposite are against it because they have never seen a tax reduction that they could support, whether it be in the area of company tax or whether it be in the area of shipping. The only tax policy that they have got is to oppose company tax reductions and they have a policy of putting it up—

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

Order! The Leader of the House will return to the motion.

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

It is not surprising that they want to suspend standing orders rather than debate substance because we know that if they have to debate substance they might have to debate their $70 billion black hole. They might have to discuss the comments of Senator Sinodinos, who said just today that 'there has been a bit of untidiness in this area'. That is what he thinks about their economic performance. They cannot even agree about which of their promises are real or aspirational.

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

The Leader of the House will return to the substance of the motion.

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

That is why we should not suspend standing orders, because I want to discuss these issues. I want to discuss their policies on PPL, tax cuts, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the national dental scheme because it appears they are just all over the shop on all of those issues. They have a $70 billion black hole. I was hoping perhaps that I might even get a question about infrastructure. We know that it is unlikely—I have not had one for years—but we were hoping that we might get one if we did not suspend question time. I notice that the Leader of the Opposition had a blog in the Daily Telegraph recently where he promoted support for the M4 East, the F3 to M2, the M5 East widening, the North West Rail Link and the road tunnel under Mosman.

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

The Leader of the House will return to the motion.

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

That is $50 billion of promises in a blog, and they have already got a $70 billion dollar black hole. It is no wonder they do not want to discuss the issues of substance. That is why they try to suspend standing orders every day. They come in here, but they do not put any time or effort into their questions in question time. There is no probing of the government as to the policies of the day. There is no probing of the implications behind, for example, the safe rates legislation, which they say is so terrible. There are no questions about the detail of that legislation because they are simply not interested in it. What we saw them doing last Thursday is a new thing. Not only do they waste time with the suspension of standing orders, they now waste time bobbing up like Jack and Jill up the back there giving five-minute grabs so that they avoid voting on legislation and avoid going down on that legislation.

This is a good day for the parliament. We had safe rates carried by this House and the MRRT will be carried by the other house. That is why we should not waste time with a suspension of standing orders. They do not talk about why standing orders should be suspended, but they put a whole lot of slurs out against members of parliament, statutory authorities and anyone else who stands in their way. We on this side want to talk about our plans for enhancing opportunities for nation building, for returning the budget to surplus and our positive vision for the future. That is what we are focused on and that is what this parliament should be focused on. It should not be focused on the longest dummy spit in Australian political history, which we are seeing from those opposite. It is no wonder when you see the sorts of performances from those opposite that people know in their guts that he is nuts. That is what they know, because those opposite just engage in relentless negativity day after day.

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. The term just used by the Leader of the House concerning the Leader of the Opposition is quite offensive and should be withdrawn.

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

I did not hear the actual remark. Would the Leader of the House assist the House?

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

It is a term that the Leader of the House has used on previous occasions and has been asked to withdraw. He knows perfectly well he was offensive and should simply withdraw.

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

The Minister for Trade and Competitiveness will resume his seat.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting—

I warn the honourable member for Mackellar! The member for Mackellar has the advantage over me as I did not hear it. The Leader of the Opposition did not take exception to it. I ask the Leader of the House: would he be prepared to facilitate the business of the House?

Government members interjecting—

Order! I did not hear what the term was, and I cannot require the term to be withdrawn unless I know what it is. If I know what it is, I am able to determine whether or not it ought to be withdrawn. I did ask the Leader of the House whether he would assist the House, but he was of the view that he had not made an unparliamentary statement. I did not hear it. On that basis, I would have called the honourable member for Menzies; however, the first member to rise was the minister for trade, who has the call.

Opposition members interjecting—

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was standing before him.

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

The minister will resume his seat. I am listening to a point of order.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my point of order, with the greatest respect, is that the member for Mackellar was on her feet at that stage taking a point of order. It would have been disorderly on my part to come up here and bowl her out of the way of the dispatch box and it is my submission, Mr Speaker, that you should give the call to this side in this debate.

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

The first member I saw—the minister for trade has the call.

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. I was following proceedings very closely. I am just speaking to your ruling.

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

The honourable member will resume his seat.

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

Mr Speaker, I am taking a point of order.

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

I have ruled against your point of order. The question is that the motion moved be agreed to and I call the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason that standing orders should not be suspended is that this parliament should be a clearing house in the contest of ideas. It should not be the forum for smearing Fair Work Australia or for smearing the member for Dobell. What it should be is a battle of ideas. That is what the Australian people expect here. They do not expect the scorn and derision and the grubby, filthy politics from those opposite, who engage in chants and mafia. What you have engaged in today is an absolute disgrace and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

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

Order! The minister will withdraw the reflection on the members of the opposition. He will approach the dispatch box and do so.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. Mr Speaker, this—

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

Order! The time allotted to this debate has expired. The question is that the motion moved by the honourable the Manager of Opposition Business for the suspension of standing and sessional orders be agreed to.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.