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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The member for Warringah met Senator Hanson yesterday to discuss the government's agenda. Was the member for Warringah commissioned by the Prime Minister to conduct these negotiations or was he acting of his own initiative?

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

Mr Speaker, questions to ministers and the Prime Minister need to be within their areas of responsibility, and, while the Prime Minister's responsibilities are very broad, they do not run to the motivation for people—

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The level of interjections prevented me from hearing the Leader of the House. This is not the way for the House to conduct itself. I had asked the member for Hughes already to cease interjecting, and he interjected right through the Leader of the House, preventing me hearing him. He can leave under 94(a).

The member for Hughes then left the chamber.

I would like the Leader of the House to make his point of order without interruption.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, questions to ministers and the Prime Minister need to be within their areas of responsibility, and, while the Prime Minister's areas of responsibility are broad, they do not go to the motivations for why individual members or senators have cups of tea.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Or dinners at Wild Duck!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chifley can leave under 94(a).

The member for Chifley then left the chamber.

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

Mr Speaker, to the point of order: the question asked quite specifically whether the Prime Minister commissioned the member for Warringah to conduct those negotiations. Surely the Prime Minister is in charge of who he commissions to conduct negotiations.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House.

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

It is just spurious conjecture, Mr Speaker, and it is quite clearly ruled out under the standing orders. It is utterly hypothetical and it should not be allowed to stand.

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

Mr Speaker—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The preamble was certainly out of order. I could easily rule the question out of order, but I have said previously that, where we can, I would prefer free-flowing debate. There was one specific question there about whether the Prime Minister had commissioned another member. I will allow the Prime Minister the opportunity to answer it in any way he sees fit, of course.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is no.