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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister claimed the government had only referred the Deputy Prime Minister 'to give the High Court the opportunity to clarify the law'. Given that, at that stage, the High Court had already been given the opportunity to clarify the law with Senator Canavan's referral, why was it necessary to also refer the Deputy Prime Minister? Isn't it the case that the Solicitor-General's advice is not as strong as the government is claiming?

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

Well, Mr Speaker, you ruled a moment ago that the member for Hunter's question was out of order. I do not dispute your ruling, but I was hoping it might have been about energy. I was hoping it might have been about energy prices and the fact the Labor Party is doing everything it can to put the security and the affordability of Australian energy at risk.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

Mr Speaker, I know the ruling about the preamble, but, given that's often all we get, I'm asking for direct relevance to be enforced.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I ask the Manager of Opposition Business to resume his seat and for those interjecting behind him to cease interjecting so I can rule on the matter. I do allow preambles—that's correct—but I say that the question to the Prime Minister was very specific on the matter of the High Court, so he needs to confine himself to that.

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

The honourable member has asked me this question in one form or another on numerous occasions, and I refer him to my earlier answers. I cannot help but regret that today the opposition has no questions on national security, no questions on the economy and no questions on energy.