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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's letter of 17 November to the South Australian government, indicating that the government would abandon its obligation to deliver 450 gigalitres of water to the Murray-Darling Basin through efficiency measures. Does the Deputy Prime Minister's letter reflect government policy?

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

Could the Leader of the Opposition assist us by showing where in that letter the word 'abandoned' is used?

A government member: Not once!

Not once. Yet again the Leader of the Opposition is misrepresenting what ministers have said. He has no regard for the truth. He gave a long speech today in which he thoroughly misrepresented statements by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection—dishonestly did so. And I might say, on the subject of the recklessness of the Leader of the Opposition, he quoted the member for Cowan, who said, 'I am fearful that the minister's comments will be used by an extreme few who would seek to harm the fabric of our society.'

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

Mr Speaker—

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

You can't take it, can you?

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

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

Your dishonesty—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members on both sides will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

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

On relevance. It was a very straight question: does the Deputy Prime Minister's letter reflect government policy—yes or no?

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Mr Joyce interjecting—

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

The Leader of the House and the Deputy Prime Minister will cease interjecting. The member for Corangamite will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The Deputy Prime Minister, the government, is committed to the policy, which is to implement the Basin Plan, but the Basin Plan has conditions and qualifications and was set in place by the member for Watson when he was the minister. I have just read a portion of it, and achieving those neutral or improved social or economic outcomes is challenging. We recognise that, and that is why we need all jurisdictions to work together in a constructive way to achieve it. But what we have seen today is this consistent dishonest misrepresentation by the Leader of the Opposition. If it is not the Deputy Prime Minister, it is the immigration minister—he is misrepresenting one minister after another, all reckless to the consequences of what he says, promoting anxiety, stirring up resentment, stirring up conflict. He has no regard for the consequences of what he does other than his own political interest.

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

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the letter from Barnaby Joyce, because I do not think the Prime Minister has seen it.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will refer to members—

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Corangamite will resume her seat. Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

The foreign affairs minister will cease interjecting. I say to the member for Corangamite: the Practicemakes very clear that leaders of political parties have certain precedence. The Leader of the Opposition will nonetheless refer to members by their correct titles.

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

Yes. Thank you for that.

Leave not granted.

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

I call the member for Corangamite, finally.

Opposition members: Hurray!