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

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. If the Acting Prime Minister believes in the presumption of innocence, will he explain why the member for Dobell was excluded from the Labor caucus?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Acting Primer Minister has the call. I was weighing up whether the question was in order.

Opposition members: You have given him the call!

The Acting Prime Minister can resume his seat. The very insistent individuals on my left can stop assisting because they are actually doing themselves a great disservice by annoying me beyond belief. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

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

The answer is very simple. The Prime Minister has dealt with this matter at length both in the parliament and out of the parliament, and so has the member for Dobell. This is just part of the continuing smear campaign which is being run by those opposite. The member for Dobell has explained his position and Prime Minister has explained her position. But those opposite want to continue to run this smear campaign. They want to take the mud bucket out.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order of relevance. The question could not have been more straightforward: why was the member for Dobell excluded from Labor's caucus?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Acting Prime Minister will refer to the question before the chair.

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

Well, certainly: the shadow Treasurer also referred to this question in the media I think over the weekend when he said that he would accept the support of Mr Thomson on the floor of the parliament. That says it all!