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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister know about the enterprise migration agreement offered to Gina Rinehart when she made this statement to the House last Thursday: 'If you want a government that is going to put Gina's interests first, then the Leader of the Opposition is your man.' Does the Prime Minister support the agreement reached with Gina Rinehart for the Roy Hill project?

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

I was fully briefed about the Roy Hill enterprise migration agreement having returned from Chicago last Wednesday. I say to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: yes, my statement in the parliament is right, because that statement is about the minerals resource rent tax. Let us be very clear: when it comes to the minerals resource rent tax, we have picked the side of Australian families and increasing their family payments, and the Leader of the Opposition has picked the side of the billionaires.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I am directly answering the deputy leader's question.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. The Prime Minister said she did know about it, so she has answered that part. The question is: does she support the—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. That was not a point of order. The Prime Minister has the call and is being relevant to the question.

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

The deputy leader's question went directly to a statement in parliament about Gina Rinehart's interests being served by the Leader of the Opposition. Yes, he is Gina Rinehart's butler because he is a man in this parliament who says to Australian families, 'Give up your family payments because I want to give them back to Gina Rinehart.' The Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and all of those on the opposition benches seem unable to make what is a very clear distinction.

I am happy when major mining companies create Australian jobs and prosperity.

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

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

The member for Solomon is warned.

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

That is a good thing, and that will only ever get a tick from me. That is a good thing. I simply believe that, at the same time as those mining companies are creating those jobs and prosperity, they should pay their fair share of tax. I know that that is an offensive proposition to the Leader of the Opposition. He thinks that Australian families should give up increased family payments. He believes that working people should give up superannuation. He believes that mining companies should give up infrastructure so that those mining magnates can pay less tax. That is the political divide in this parliament—whether you believe in opportunity for all coming out of the resources boom or whether you believe in serving the—

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

The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The member for Mackellar on a point of order other than relevance.

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

Yes, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I refer you to page 551 of House ofRepresentatives Practice where it is stated:

When a Minister is occasionally unable to provide an immediate substantive answer, he or she may either undertake to supply—

it or sit down.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat! She will not abuse question time with frivolous points of order. The Prime Minister has the call and will return to the question before the chair.

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

Thank you, and I was addressing that section of the question that related to my statement in parliament last Thursday about which I was very directly asked, Madam Deputy Speaker. And so, having made very clear that the Leader of the Opposition is in here to serve the interests of a privileged few, let me also say this: we will always put Australian jobs first.

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

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

The member for Solomon will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a), and if she thinks just muttering under her breath is not offensive, it is. She has been warned twice—

Opposition members interjecting—

My apologies, but the member for Solomon has been warned once, and that is more courtesy than most people get. The Prime Minister has the call.

The member for Solomon then left the chamber.

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

On arrangements with Roy Hill, and arrangements in mining generally, we will always put Australian jobs first. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the Minister for Resources and Energy have worked on this agreement to secure Australian jobs and of course I support that securing of Australian jobs. I know the Leader of the Opposition is always opposed to Australian jobs. (Time expired)

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

My supplementary question is to the Prime Minister. Does she or does she not support the agreement offered to Gina Rinehart for the Roy Hill project? Yes or no?

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

I say to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: she would be better off to listen to the answers. The Roy Hill agreement will go ahead. It supports Australian jobs and I support Australian jobs. I also support the training outcomes in the Roy Hill agreement and I support the opportunities for Indigenous Australians in the Roy Hill agreement. I think that these are very good things—employing Australians, training Australians and supporting the jobs of Indigenous Australians. We as a government will continue to work to put Australian jobs first—

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. We just want a straight answer from the Prime Minister. Does she support it?

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. When we have quiet, the Prime Minister has the call.

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

Just because the Deputy Leader of the Opposition does not like the answer, that does not make it not a straight answer. Straight up, I support Australian jobs and the Roy Hill agreement will help us create Australian jobs—that is a good thing. I support training outcomes—that is a good thing. I support jobs for Indigenous Australians—that is a good thing. And we will keep working in enterprise migration agreements to make sure that Australians are always at the front of the queue and that they are always the ones who get the opportunities flowing from these resource projects as a priority. That is why we will create a jobs board and make use of it, conditional for future agreements, and we will be strengthening oversight, because we will always put Australian jobs first despite the negativity of those opposite. (Time expired)