Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, because today he said of the WA One Nation preference deal:

This is a disappointing move. I hope the architects of it clearly understand the ramifications of the decision …

Given the federal Minister for Finance was closely involved in the negotiations, has the finance minister ever conducted legislation negotiations in the Senate with One Nation on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister or any other National Party ministers? Is the Deputy Prime Minister happy to have the Minister for Finance negotiating with One Nation on his behalf?

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. I have ruled one question out of order on the subject matter. I have allowed another two in. That question is in the category of the first question asked. It is out of order. I will hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

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

I respect the ruling that you have made. Can you make clear just what it is that is making it out of order?

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

Maybe the Manager of Opposition Business might go to the point that he thinks is in order. I am glad he concedes most of it is out of order.

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

It is the fact that it is asking about legislation negotiations in the Senate and the minister's role in who he delegates to conduct those legislation negotiations in the Senate.

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

I will allow the Deputy Prime Minister to answer that narrow part of the question and any other point he deems fit.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hunter for his apt question about agriculture. I am always waiting for a question on agriculture or water from the member for Hunter. I think what would be better would be to get a question on energy security, since he is the member for Hunter and, last time I went through there, there was actually a power station, or a couple, that he might want to keep open, just like the member for Shortland might want to keep their power stations open. But, of course, they do not believe in keeping their power stations open. They believe in anything but the questions that are actually pertinent either to their portfolio or to the area where they live.

To the area of the effects of preference deals and how they affect legislation, that is a very pertinent question for the member for Herbert, who got in on One Nation preferences, and the member for Longman, who got in on One Nation preferences, and the member for Dobell, who got in on One Nation preferences. So we have rather a confusion of how to deal with things when the Labor Party—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for McEwen on a point of order.

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

It goes to direct relevance. In 2010—

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

The member for McEwen will resume his seat. I made it very clear when I allowed this question that I would allow the Deputy Prime Minister to answer the question and any other matter he deemed fit. The gate is open. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I paid heed to the point of order, and it was kind of irrelevant: it started badly, faded away a bit in the middle and the less said about the end of it the better. What we actually see with the Labor Party is that they will completely avoid the issue that is pertinent to how you actually get working men and women back into work. You have a choice: you can either have cheap labour or cheap power. They do not believe in cheap power, they do not believe in actually looking after the working men and women.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

The member for Shortland knows that, and the member for Shortland will know that he is now on camera and he has to explain to his constituency why he has become a patsy for the Greens. Why has he become a patsy for the Greens? Because he probably got Greens preferences, the member for Shortland—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

his whole political agenda within the Labor Party has now been determined by Greens preferences. As was the member for Hunter, who no doubt got Greens preferences. He is very proud of those Greens preferences. Because I know, to his bootstraps, he believes in the Greens agenda. Of course, I know one person—that is, the member for Grayndler—who almost is a Greens member! He just sits there—he has to get The Daily Telegraph to go into bat for him, for The Daily Telegraph to go, 'Save Albo', 'Save Albo from the Greens'. Because the Labor Party has been taken over by the Greens. The Labor Party is a paid-up member of the Australian Greens. And yet we never hear about what their policy agenda is.

Remember, it is the Greens that want to get rid of coal mining completely. Send our whole nation down the financial tube, but they do not care about that. The Labor Party does not care about that; it has been overtaken. The problem with the Labor Party these days is the Labor Party does not have any people who actually have done any labour in it. There is no-one who has done any labour. There are no actual workers in it any more. They have given up on workers and taken up on union officials and university students. That is what the Labor Party is: union officials and university students. You do not have the people who are actually the shearers, who are actually the work men and women—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Just before I give the call to the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Wakefield is warned, as are the members for Shortland and Moreton. The member for Griffith has already been warned. That is her final warning. The Manager of Opposition Business.

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

In his answer, the Deputy Prime Minister referred to documents from the electorates of Herbert, Longman and Dobell, the how-to-vote cards that were handed out. I would seek leave to table all three how-to-vote cards, all of which have Labor putting One Nation last.

Leave not granted.

Opposition members interjecting—

Government members interjecting—

Ms Chesters interjecting—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Murray will resume his seat. The member for Bendigo is warned. The member for Griffith could not help herself; she will leave under 94(a).

The member for Griffith then left the chamber.