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

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Watson from moving the following motion forthwith:

That the House:

(1) notes that:

  (a) today, the Prime Minister provided a letter to the Senate and the House from his departmental secretary relating to the inquiry into the compliance of former ministers Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop with the Ministerial Standards;

  (b) the letter advised the Prime Minister that Ms Bishop told the secretary she had no contact with Palladium as Minister for Foreign Affairs;

  (c) Ms Bishop appeared in a video filmed in her ministerial office and published on Palladium's FaceBook page on 9 June 2017 titled "Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop commends Shared Value and Palladium's Business Partnership Platform";

  (d) during the period Ms Bishop was Minister for Foreign Affairs the company Palladium and its related entities entered into contracts with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade valued at over $600 million;

  (e) the integrity of this Government is linked to the observance and enforcement of the Ministerial Standards; and

  (f) unanswered questions remain in relation to the relationship between Ms Bishop and the departmental contractor on whose board she now sits and the rigour of the inquiry by the Prime Minister's departmental secretary; and

(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to direct his departmental secretary to re-open his inquiry into former Minister Bishop.

The letter that the Prime Minister has tabled here—which, mind you, was tabled in the Senate, and until question time he had no intention of even tabling it in the House of Representatives, notwithstanding that both ministers were ministers in the House of Representatives, both ministers who decided it was time to resign once he became Prime Minister of Australia—

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We move that the member be no longer heard.

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

The Leader of the House just needs to move it himself.

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

Point of order.

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

I already have the issue in hand. I'm not sure if it's in anyone interest to let the clock just keep ticking, but if you want to argue along these lines we can. I was just pointing out to the Leader of the House that, if a motion is to be moved, it has to be moved by one person.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The motion is mine. I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

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

The question is that the Manager of Opposition Business be no longer heard.

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

Is the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business seconded?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Shutting down this debate says everything you need to know about this Prime Minister.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

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

The question is that the member be no longer heard.

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

The question now is that the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.

Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The more you look at this, the dodgier it gets. This is an absolute disgrace.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the question be now put.

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

The question is that the motion be put.

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

The question is that the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.