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 Herald Sun reports today that the Attorney-General originally proposed to cabinet that neither side would receive public funding but that a group of conservatives, including the Treasurer, the Deputy Prime Minister and the immigration minister, rolled the Attorney-General. Is this civil war what the Prime Minister means when he says, 'So far, so good'?

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

It is interesting the member for Grayndler is sitting there stony-faced as talk about civil war ensues. The honourable member knows very well indeed that cabinet processes are confidential. He knows very well. But what he should know—what he should understand—is that, when it comes to civil war and factional politics, the Labor Party is in a league of its own. So frightened of his opponents in the Labor Party, he cleaved to Senator Dastyari like a drowning man clinging to a piece of wood in a shipwreck. He hung onto him—nothing untoward!

Let's just reflect on this. Let's reflect on this. This, they tell us, is the party of fairness. I hear it all: the Labor Party is always talking about fairness. I ask honourable members: how is it fair for a senator earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, vastly above average weekly earnings, when he has a debt he does not want to pay—people often do not want to pay their debts—to ring up a Chinese company and say, 'Pick up the tab, mate; pick up the tab'? Do we imagine he could have done that if he were not a senator? So Senator Dastyari was elevated to the position of senator by the people of New South Wales.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order, and he will come to the point of order.

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

It is relevance. I am just asking him to be a little bit relevant.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will not reflect on me, I hope.

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

No, him.

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

Not this early in the week.

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

You are very relevant. Him!

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I do not want to go through and repeat every phrase that is put in these long questions, but can I just—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. I am sick of him interjecting when I am making a ruling to the House. For the assistance of the Manager of Opposition Business, I do not want to go through and restate every question that is asked, but let me, just for a bit of guidance, say that, when a phrase like 'civil war' is used, my attitude is that the floodgates are open.

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

Returning, the floodgates of cash are open for Senator Dastyari. Yes, just dial 1. Just dial 1 for cash—that is what he is able to do. And, you know, these are the standards of the Labor Party. This is a man of whom the Leader of the Opposition said there was nothing untoward. He said that it was petty to insinuate that there was something improper in a senator being able to call somebody up and say, 'Pick up the tab; pay my debt.'

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

Oh, the member for McEwen says there is nothing wrong about it, so probably he is doing that too. He is interjecting.

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

The member for McEwen on a point of order?

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I would ask you to ask the Prime Minister to withdraw that lie. I did not say that, and it is further proof that the Prime Minister does not listen.

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

That is strictly not a point of order. The member for McEwen knows that. The member for McEwen is the Second Deputy Speaker. If he claims to have been misrepresented, he is welcome to take action after question time.

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

I look forward to the member for McEwen correcting the record and condemning Senator Dastyari in the way that his leader should have, demonstrating that he has the courage of his convictions and is not so frightened of this junior senator from New South Wales that he is prepared to defend the indefensible and to stand up for what was a thoroughly improper use of a senator's power and privileges. (Time expired)