Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's promise this morning about Qantas where he said:

No one is going to reduce its Australianism and the number of employees that it has in this country …

On the other hand, given the government's proposed changes that will move Australian maintenance engineering and cabin crew jobs overseas, will the Prime Minister give the same promise to Qantas employees as did the Deputy Prime Minister this morning?

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

We want Qantas to operate under the same rules that Virgin does. Virgin employs almost 10,000 people here in Australia. Virgin is flying millions of Australians around Australia every week. Virgin is servicing planes in Australia. If you want to operate an airline in Australia, you have got to have staff in Australia. If you want to operate an airline in Australia, you have got to have planes serviced in Australia.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order of direct relevance: is the Prime Minister going to give the same promise that the Deputy Prime Minister gave—that they will guarantee no reduction in jobs?

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

There is no point of order. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. A question was asked about employment. The Prime Minister is answering.

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

The problem with this Leader of the Opposition is that not only is he verballing the Deputy Prime Minister, not only is he defaming Qantas, not only is he running down Virgin—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will desist.

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

I said this is a man who is running down Virgin and he is. He is running down Virgin, talking down Qantas and, frankly, it is conduct unbecoming of an alternative—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under standing order 86 for points of order, are there any points of order or standing orders that are relevant when the Prime Minister is on his feet?

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

That is an abuse of the standing orders and the member will resume his seat or remove himself, one or the other.

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

I am doing my best to understand the position of members opposite. What members opposite seem to be saying is that—

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is very ordinary. Delusions of adequacy, that is what you have got.

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

The member for Moreton is warned.

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

we, the then opposition, the coalition, should have supported a proposal to remove the 25 per cent and 35 per cent restrictions in 2009. That I think is the position of the Labor Party that we should have supported in 2009. Well, let me put this to members opposite: if we were wrong then, they are wrong now. That is the absolute logic of their position. If members opposite believe that the 25 per cent and 35 per cent rules should go, well, support the government. Let us get rid of the Qantas Sale Act because the 25 per cent and 35 per cent rules are the very heart of the Qantas Sale Act that we want to repeal.

I am all in favour of Qantas surviving and flourishing. I just want it to operate under the same rules that Virgin does. I beg of members opposite, who I think are genuinely concerned for jobs: do not discriminate against Qantas by continuing to subject Qantas to the rules that Virgin does not have to run under. If it is right for Virgin, it is right for Qantas. That is what this government wants the parliament to support.