Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister of her previous statement:

... question time is supposed to be one of our key accountability mechanisms. If there is a big scandal ... you are supposed to be able to get to the matter in question time ...

How can the Australian people trust the Prime Minister on anything when she has failed to keep that commitment by routinely gagging debate in the parliament over matters surrounding the member for Dobell?

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

The Leader of the House on a point of order?

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

In order to solicit an answer it is helpful if a question is asked, and there wasn't a question asked there.

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

If the Leader of House had been listening he would have heard that the question is: how can the Australian people trust the Australian Prime Minister on anything, given—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat! My difficulty with the point of order from the Manager of Opposition Business is that I would have thought that that question has been asked and answered on numerous occasions. But I was going to rule the question in order and call the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I am happy to say to the member who asked the question that I very much enjoy question time because it reminds me every day of how truly pathetic the opposition is. Unfortunately, it is the opposition that is broadly opposed to question time, which is why they do their stupid motions every day. But in my own way I am grateful for that because it enables me to get 25 minutes more work done every day. So move your motion and I will go and get something important done for the nation.