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 have any knowledge of the Roy Hill enterprise migration agreement before she received a detailed briefing on the matter last Wednesday?

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

Now, of course, we see revealed that the opposition cannot possibly sustain a debate on the economy—apparently cannot even sustain a debate on carbon pricing. They packed that in because they are doing so badly with their fear campaign in here because of the absurdity of it. They cannot ask another question about carbon pricing when the depth of their investment in the resources sector has been revealed.

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

Order! The Prime Minister will come to the question. The Prime Minister needs to be relevant to the question she has been asked.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, it is just striking me as somewhat amusing that we are already here—with carbon pricing fear campaigning. In answer to the deputy opposition leader's question, as I have stated on a number of occasions in this parliament, I was fully briefed on this matter when I came back from Chicago. Until I had received all of that information, I was not in a position to assess this matter. I assessed it following that briefing.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. As the Prime Minister has now indicated that she learned of the Roy Hill agreement when she received the detailed briefing on Wednesday, how can she explain her cabinet keeping her in the dark about such an important issue?

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask that the Leader of the House to withdraw that remark, which I regard as bullying of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

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

As I did not hear the remark, given the amount of noise in the chamber and that I was concentrating on the question, I am going to give the call to the Prime Minister.

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

I withdraw whatever it was.

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

The Leader of the House will withdraw without condition.

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

I withdraw.

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

I thank the Leader of the House. Could I just remind members that the amount of noise does make it very difficult.

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

The question from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition goes to the same misrepresentation she was engaging in yesterday. She is misrepresenting the words of the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship—

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

The Prime Minister will resume her seat.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that I misquoted the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship—

Government members: That's a point of order!

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

Order!

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

which I did not, and she said I misled the parliament. If this is another accusation of misleading the parliament, I ask the Prime Minister to withdraw it.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you very much, and in order to—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is not in order for the Prime Minister to stand up and claim a member has misrepresented something when they have not, and if the member has asked for it to be withdrawn, it should be withdrawn!

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is well aware that there are other forms of the House to address the issue. An issue to withdraw goes to unparliamentary language and this is an issue that cannot be dealt with at this time.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I made a personal explanation yesterday because the Prime Minister had misrepresented what I said, and she does it again—does she not learn from her mistakes?

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. There are opportunities at other times in the House to have the matter addressed.

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

To refer to the actual words of the immigration minister, he did say in parliament, in answer to a question from the opposition, 'I have discussed with and updated informally the productivity committee of the cabinet'—

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

No, that's not what he said!

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I just read the quote.

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

No, you did not!

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

The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. This is not the time for debate. This is question time. Unless there is an issue of direct relevance, there is no other point of order, so the Deputy Leader of the Opposition can use other forms of the House.

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

Direct relevance.

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has stated her point of order. She will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I am endeavouring to answer the question from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What I am saying to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, as I said yesterday, is that cabinet is confidential. I refer her to the direct remarks of the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Whilst I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has now been reduced to hurling abuse, nothing changes the facts of this matter—

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

The Prime Minister is not being relevant and this is not appropriate to the question.

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

The facts of this matter are: I was fully briefed on my return from Chicago, as I have said on a number of occasions now.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have been listening carefully to proceedings in this parliament, and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is certainly not the one hurling abuse. The Prime Minister should withdraw that statement.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.