David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday, when asked for copies of maps on display at the Prime Minister's media event, ASIO replied, 'We are unable to provide the documents. They are for official use only.' But this morning ASIO described the documents as 'carefully edited and unclassified'. What contact did the Prime Minister, his office, his ministers or their officers have with ASIO after the initial response?

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

I simply repeat what I have said before: that it is entirely appropriate that ministers should seek a briefing from ASIO on the day that important national security legislation is introduced into the parliament. Again I wonder why members opposite should have taken it upon themselves to impugn the professionalism of ASIO. The idea that ASIO officers, including the director-general—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney—and the member for McMahon is warned.

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

would somehow expose classified documents to the world is just wrong. ASIO officers are highly committed professionals. They absolutely know their craft, and the idea that they would permit classified documents to be somehow exposed to the world is just wrong.

I say to members opposite: I would have thought that you would have had more respect for the people running our national security—

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

The member for Isaacs on a point of order?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure the House that Labor has complete respect for ASIO.

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

The member will resume his seat. That is an abuse of the standing orders; one more time, and you will leave under 94(a). That is an absolute abuse of the standing orders and will not be tolerated. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The shadow Attorney-General—the man who thinks that terrorists should be brought back to Australia—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr Burke interjecting—

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

The member will resume his seat. Resume your seat.

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

Who does the shadow Attorney-General think produced the maps in question? Does the shadow Attorney-General think that somehow I rolled up a few maps and took them into ASIO? The maps in question were produced by ASIO. They were produced by highly professional officers—

Mr Bowen interjecting—

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

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

The member for McMahon then left the chamber.

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

and it is absolutely crystal clear through repeated statements, including by the director-general of ASIO, that they were unclassified maps. So let's have no more of this childishness from members opposite, who are impugning the professionalism of our security agency.