Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In her travels, the foreign minister has made it clear that she is able to have constructive meetings with the President of Iran, the President of Russia, and the President of the Philippines. How can the foreign minister claim any credibility or bring any professionalism to her job if we're meant to believe that she can work with Iran, Russia and the Philippines, but maybe not New Zealand?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has the call.

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

Oh, really! This is a question from a member of parliament who called Ariel Sharon a war criminal, and called the state of Israel a rogue state. She has no credibility whatsoever because she thinks Africa is a country. Not once, not twice, but three times she called Africa a country. What is the capital of Africa, again?

The fact is: the New Zealand Labour leader has now distanced herself from the Australian Labor Party. She has said that what Labour were asked to do—

Mr Watts interjecting—

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The Minister for Foreign Affairs will pause for a second. The member for Gellibrand and the member for Lindsay will leave under 94(a).

The members for Gellibrand and Lindsay then left the chamber.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

The member for Sydney has been warned three times. She can leave under 94(a). The member for Sydney will leave immediately under 94(a).

The member for Sydney then left the chamber.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has the call.

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

I know how sensitive the member for Sydney is about being reminded of her faux pas in foreign affairs when she was the shadow minister. It was so embarrassing, she clearly had to be moved on. But the fact is that the New Zealand Labour Party leader has said that the incident in the New Zealand parliament—indeed, where the Australian Labor Party put them up to it—was wrong, it was unacceptable, it was inappropriate and it should never have happened. So why doesn't the leader of the Labor Party in Australia admit that what they sought to do, by putting the New Zealand Labour Party up to this stunt, was wrong, inappropriate, unacceptable and should never have happened? I accept, at her word, what the New Zealand Labour leader has said. What the Australian people should never accept is anything that comes out of the mouth of the Leader of the Opposition.

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

Mr Speaker—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat for a second. If members think I'm not going to keep removing them from the chamber or I won't take more severe action, they're sadly mistaken. I want them to know that, if they continue to interject, they are determining they will be excluded from the chamber.