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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given last night no member of the National Party Senate team voted to keep the government's ban on the Adler shotgun, and given that the Prime Minister has just confirmed that the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party backed the ban in the cabinet, does the Prime Minister's deputy still support the ban on the importation of the Adler shotgun? If so, why did none of his team in the Senate back up the cabinet decision?

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

Just before I call the Prime Minister—I will call the Deputy Prime Minister in a second; I can see the Prime Minister referring the question to him. I have said before—and I have listened to all these questions carefully. The earlier question—whilst it did relate to the National Party, of which the Prime Minister is not a member—did relate to the cabinet. But what members cannot do is be asked to answer for other members. They simply cannot. That is well established in the Practice. I need to uphold the Practice and the standing orders, and I am going to move to the next question. The member for Boothby.