Clive Palmer (Fairfax, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Following the revelations in the Senate in November that the data of up to five members of parliament are being accessed, are any crossbench members, including me, having their phones and their emails tapped or intercepted by any Commonwealth or state agency, or is any foreign government doing this to give the government plausible denial? Are our parliamentary offices bugged?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fairfax for his question and I congratulate him on his recent election to this place. I hope that he and all members of his group can make a very constructive contribution to the deliberations of this parliament. On the question the member has asked—

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Speaker—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I say to the member for Kennedy that it had better be a proper point of order.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two weeks ago, they had me in the Greens. Today—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is the point of order?

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am in Clive's party. Please, Mr Prime Minister—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Fairfax, his fellow Independents and the minor party members up there on the crossbenches that it has never been the practice of any government in this country to comment on the specifics of operational intelligence matters. I also make the point that no-one's phone can be tapped—no-one's conversations can be listened into—without a specific warrant. Our intelligence services, both here and abroad, operate under the very strictest of safeguards. Firstly, there is the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Security and Intelligence and, secondly, there is the Inspector-General of Security and Intelligence. So I can assure the member for Fairfax that he can speak in peace, so to speak, without any fear that anything untoward is going on.