Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today the opposition leader and I are meeting with members of the Australian Federal Police Association. Is the Prime Minister aware that AFP officers, including his own protection detail, are concerned that they will lose $35,000 every year because of planned cuts to allowances for working late nights and weekends? Why does the Prime Minister want to add police officers to the list of Australians who will have their pay cut at the same time as millionaires will get a tax cut?

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

The work of the Australian Federal Police and indeed all of our police and security services—24 hours a day, seven days a week—is keeping us safe. We have the best police, security and intelligence services in the world.

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The member for Lindsay is warned.

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

And our police—the Queensland police and thousands of other emergency workers—are keeping Queenslanders safe at the moment and will be over the next days and weeks in Queensland.

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat for a second. I have made it very clear, for those who interject continuously, who are warned each day. I have warned the member for Lindsay. I asked her to cease interjecting earlier. She will now leave under 94(a). And anyone else who has been warned will be leaving in exactly the same manner. It is their choice.

The member for Lindsay then left the chamber.

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

The coalition has provided unprecedented support to the Federal Police and our security services, recognising that they stand between us and people who seek to do us harm. And I will ask the Minister for Justice to address the industrial matter that the honourable member raised.

Mr Keogh interjecting—

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

The member for Burt will leave under 94(a).

The member for Burt then left the chamber.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought I dealt with the untruths that have been peddled in this matter last week when I was asked a very similar question by the shadow minister for justice. I am very happy any day of the week to compare our record with the record of the opposition when they were in government. We have invested in an unprecedented way in our law enforcement and security agencies, including $1½ billion for the counterterrorism response alone. As I said last week, when I became minister I inherited the wreckage of what had happened under the Labor Party for six years, not just in the law enforcement relationship but across every national security aspect of the Commonwealth: the lowest defence spending since 1938 and cuts to customs at $¾ billion, which meant that we were not screening cargo when it came over our threshold, which resulted in imports of guns and drugs—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs is warned.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is the sort of mess we have been required to clean up since we arrived in office. This is combined with the fact that they completely lost control over our borders, allowing criminal people-smuggling gangs to be in charge of who comes to Australia. The truth is—and they would not know it if it hit them in the face—that we provided unprecedented support for the Australian Federal Police.

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

The minister will resume his seat for a second. The member for Hotham has a point of order—and will state the point of order.

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have not yet heard the minister address the crux of this question—

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

The member for Hotham will resume her seat.

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, on relevance, Mr Speaker.

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

No, I asked the member for Hotham to state the point of order.

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance—

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

I am not going to be a broken record. I asked the member for Hotham to—

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. I would just like the minister to answer the question about the pay and conditions of Australian Federal Police.

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

I have asked you to return to your seat. The member for Hotham is warned.

Mr Sukkar interjecting—

The member for Deakin is warned. Let me make it as clear as I can. Members rising on a point of order need to state the point of order, not to give the House or myself a lecture on what they think of the minister's answer. If they cannot state the point of order they cannot stay in the House. I was lenient in warning the member for Hotham. I had asked her to resume her seat twice. If she thinks that was a bit too tough she might want to consult with the member for Ballarat, who had rather tougher treatment on one occasion. The minister has the call.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With all due respect to the shadow minister, she would not have a clue about what is going on with this portfolio—not a clue. We have supported the Australian Federal Police in an unprecedented way. And, as I said, when we arrived in office part of what we had to do was fix up the damage that had been done by the six years of the Labor Party. We will continue to work side by side with our law enforcement community, with our intelligence community, in giving them what they require to deal with the difficult challenges they face.

Dr Aly interjecting—

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

The member for Cowan will cease interjecting.