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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last question time the Prime Minister told the House:

… we have made no changes to superannuation rules other than doing what we said we would do before the last election.

But last September the Prime Minister announced a new freeze on the superannuation guarantee at 9½ per cent, until 2021, as part of his deal with the Leader of the Palmer United Party. Why did the Prime Minister mislead the House and will he now correct the record, as is required by paragraph 5.1 of his own statement—

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

The honourable the Leader of the Opposition knows perfectly well that if he wishes to make an allegation it needs to be on a substantive motion. You can reword your question, if you wish.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Considering whether or not it is 'deliberately mislead' or 'mislead' is part of the distinction that needs to be drawn. There is no imputation from the Leader of the Opposition in that question that the Prime Minister deliberately misled the House. He may well have not known what his own government did when he was in question time last time. We are asking him why he has not come back into the chamber to correct the record, as he is required to do so.

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

I will call the honourable the Leader of the Opposition, and if there is no implied deliberate misleading, the question can stand.

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

I can reframe the question. It certainly was not imputing deliberate misleading. Last question time the Prime Minister said that his government had made no changes to superannuation rules other than what he said they would do before the last election. But, as a matter of record, last September, the Prime Minister announced a new freeze on the superannuation guarantee at 9½ per cent, delaying it to 2021. Will the Prime Minister now correct the record to the House?

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

I understand that, as part of some concessions that the government made in order to secure the passage of legislation that was opposed by the Labor Party, we did make some changes. But, certainly, except in this particular respect, we have made no changes to superannuation.