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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the following transcript an accurate report of the SBS interview that the Prime Minister did on 6 September 2013: 'No cuts to the ABC or SBS'? Is that accurate?

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

If the honourable member wishes to rephrase his question he may do so, because transcripts is not part of the things which the Prime Minister is responsible for.

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

My question, therefore, to the Prime Minister—to comply with Madam Speaker—is: did the Prime Minister say on the night before the election, 6 September 2013, on SBS television: 'No cuts to the ABC or SBS'?

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

I did not say there would be special treatment for the ABC. An efficiency dividend—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I have had enough of the wall of noise and cacophony on my left. It will cease or there will be more people joining those who have already left.

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

I know that members opposite do not want to talk about the future. They want to dwell in the past. I know that members opposite were incompetent in government, and now they are wreckers in opposition. I know that, while this government is trying to build Australia's future, members opposite are doing their best to sabotage it. Let me say this: I never said there would be special treatment for the ABC. Everyone knew that there was going to be an efficiency dividend.

Ms Hall interjecting—

Mr Chester interjecting—

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

Order! The member for Shortland and the member for Bendigo will cease, or they will leave.

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

Effectively, what we are doing to the ABC is applying an efficiency dividend to it. The difference is that, instead of getting $6.9 billion over the next five years, the ABC and the SBS are getting $6.6 billion. That is what is happening. Instead of $6.9 billion, they are getting $6.6 billion. I ask the Leader of the Opposition: is he—

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. It was a very straight question: did the Prime Minister or did he not say: no cuts to the ABC or SBS?

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

The member will resume his seat. I will listen to the Prime Minister's answer relating to the question.

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

The challenge for the Leader of the Opposition, if he wishes to persist in this, is to say whether or not he is going to restore ABC funding. Is he going to give an extra $250 million to the ABC? Because if he is not prepared to say yes, he is a fraud.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I said: enough! The member for Adelaide and the member for Ballarat will leave under 94(a).

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

If he is not prepared to say yes, that he will instantly restore $250 million to the ABC and the SBS, he is simply a fraud.

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

And the member for Ballarat!

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

Let me repeat: this is a government—

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

Given that the member for Adelaide was silent, what standing order was she thrown out under?

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

She was not silent. I would say to the Manager of Opposition Business that it would be a good idea if you could keep them under control a little. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Madam Speaker, what we are seeing from the opposition today is an opposition which is completely bereft of any ideas for our future—an opposition that wants to obsess about the past and not build for the future and an opposition that was utterly incompetent—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? The Leader of the Opposition.

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

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House censures the Prime Minister—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The call has been given to the Prime Minister and seeking leave to move that motion needs to be done between two items of business. One item of business has not been closed—that is, the Prime Minister's answer to that question.

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

On a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition stood and you gave him the call. He then sought leave, which members are allowed to do at any time.

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

The Prime Minister indicated that he had not concluded his answer.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Notwithstanding that the Prime Minister indicated that, you gave the call to the Leader of the Opposition. Having been given the call, he sought leave and is in the middle of doing so. Members are allowed to do that at any time that they get the call, and he was given the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I assume when you gave the call to the Leader of the Opposition that you thought he was taking a point of order.

Opposition members interjecting—

If they wait 40 seconds they will be able to move their motion. While I am on my feet, Madam Speaker, I think you asked the member for Ballarat to leave the House under standing order 94 (a) and she remains.

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

I did indeed.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So she is defying your direction to her.

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

There is so much noise in the chamber today that I am not surprised she did not hear. I give the call to the Prime Minister.

The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.

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

This is a government which is steadily, carefully, methodically doing what is necessary to implement our commitments. We said the carbon tax would go, and it has gone. We said the mining tax would go, and it has gone. We said we would stop the boats and the boats—

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

The member for Isaacs will leave under 94 (a).

The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.

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

are all but stopped. We said we would build the roads for the 21st century, and they are underway. We said we would repair the budget, and that is exactly what we are doing. This wrecker—this man with no answers and just one long complaint—should stand up at the dispatch box and tell people: is he going to give the ABC an extra $250 million? If he won't do that, he is a fraud. (Time expired)

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have no motion at all until there is quiet in this chamber. The behaviour here today is disgraceful. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.