Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to the Four Corners program last night. Was the minister consulted about the government's decision to hold a competitive evaluation process to choose Australia's future submarines, and can the minister please explain what her understanding of the competitive evaluation process is?

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

I call the honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs. I might add she is not responsible for the Four Corners program.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This shows an appalling lack of understanding of how our National Security Committee works, but I am not surprised. I am not surprised at all, given that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition was such a supporter of the former Prime Minister, who did not even bother to attend the National Security Committee meetings and used to send her bodyguard in her place.

Our National Security Committee deals with all matters of national security. If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition had a more sophisticated understanding of how government works, she would understand that her question has an obvious answer. It is obvious that she does not realise that I am on the National Security Committee.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

This place has descended into a rabble—

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

and the member for Lingiari can leave under 94(a). I have been more than lenient this afternoon, and that is going to come to an end. The member for Gilmore has the call and I wish to be able to hear the question.