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

My question is to the foreign minister. Can the foreign minister please advise they House why in her previous answer she did not refer to the Deputy Prime Minister describing Donald Trump's political positions as cruel and nasty and did not refer to the Leader of the House describing the advent of the Trump campaign as terrifying. Can she explain why she did not refer to the Minister for the Environment describing him as a 'dropkick' or the former Prime Minister John Howard saying he was too unstable to hold that high office, or refer to herself saying he did not see the US as having a global leadership role?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides! The member for Ballarat. The member for Ballarat is warned. Members will come to order.

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

I did not mention the fact that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition called Israel a rogue state and Ariel Sharon a war criminal; I did not mention the fact that the Leader of the Opposition, who presents himself as the alternative Prime Minister of this country, has chosen to denigrate and demean a presidential candidate in another country. This sorry tactic of trying to blame everybody else for his personal failings will not wash. He presents himself as the leader of a major political party and as soon as he is caught out for poor judgement, for reckless immaturity, he seeks to blame everybody else.

The people of Australia deserve better from the Leader of the Opposition than his trying to blame everybody else for his personal failings. This was not some boozy meeting of union bovver boys hurling insults; this was about protecting our national interests. The Leader of the Opposition has shown that he is not up to the job—he is out of his depth.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Member for Grayndler, he is seriously out of his depth.