Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's answers about bullying in his government. Is the Prime Minister aware of a media interview about the member for Chisholm's claims of bullying within his government where the vice-president of the Liberal Party said: 'Put up or shut up. I've said this before: women always want the spoils of victory without the fight.' Does the Prime Minister stand by his previous answers that addressing bullying within the government is the responsibility of others?

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

The Leader of the House on a point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I think it is drawing a very long bow to expect that the Prime Minister is responsible for the comments of members of the party organisation, whether it's Liberal or Labor or Greens or Centre Alliance. Certainly he's responsible for his own comments and for his parliamentary team, but he's not responsible for the comments of members of the organisation and, therefore, I don't think he should be able to be asked about them.

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

I thank the Leader of the House. The Manager of Opposition Business on the point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. To the point of order: the question to the Prime Minister opens by referring to his earlier answers. In his previous answer, the Prime Minister went directly to party organisation. It was in fact the entire way or the majority of the way that he dealt with that question. This then penetrates that exact same line of argument at the next stage and asks him again whether he stands by his previous answers. It is a direct response to how the Prime Minister answered the last question, and he answered it in order.

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

When the first question was asked on this subject, I made it clear I thought it was really lineball whether it was in order. I'm going to make a couple of points to the Manager of Opposition Business, certainly with respect to referring to the previous answer. That does open it up somewhat. I don't think it then means that a statement from a party official can then mean that that question is in order—I really don't. We launched the 7th edition of Practice this morning, and one of the examples you'll find in there is that it's very clear that ministers, including the Prime Minister, can only be asked questions on matters for which they are responsible. The Prime Minister is not responsible for the vice-president of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party. So I don't believe it's in order. I'm prepared to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business again.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is whether the Prime Minister stands by his previous answers that addressing bullying within the government is the responsibility of others. That is the question. The question is not whether or not he agrees with the party official. The party official quote is given there for context, which, given the previous answers, is a direct follow-on from the previous question.

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

Yes. With respect, I'm prepared to allow the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very happy to address the matter. I do stand by my comments about matters that fall within the ambit of the federal parliamentary party of the Liberal Party, which is what I'm responsible for as the leader of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party. By contrast, the federal leader of the Labor Party said he knew nothing about an investigation happening within his own party in western Sydney, when one of his own members was being dragged under the bus on a daily basis. I'll tell you what I'm also very proud to be part of: I'm proud to be part of our government, which has invested $300 million in women's safety since 2015. I'm proud to be part of a government that has invested $100 million in a women's safety package announced in September of 2015. The package focused on practical, immediate action to keep women and children safe; improving training for frontline workers; enhancing service delivery in critical areas; and providing educational resources to change attitudes. There was $100 million for the third action plan—

Ms Madeleine King interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will pause. The member for Brand can't be repeatedly warned. She'll leave under standing order 94(a) for continually interrupting.

The member for Brand then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was $100 million for the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children from 2010-22; $83 million in the 2017-18 budget, which I brought down, for legal assistance services and reform to family law and family violence services; and $54 million in the 2018-19 budget, which I brought down, for women affected by violence and for online safety initiatives.

Our government stands by our record of standing up for women who have been affected by family violence and all sorts of violence. People can look and see what we've done, or they can look at Labor and see what they say. People will believe a government that is getting on with the job and protecting women and investing in programs to defend women and to support women who are in situations of family violence. That's our record of our government. From the day we were elected in 2013 until now, the women of Australia can be guaranteed on our part that we will deliver for their safety every single day we have the opportunity to do so.