Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the front page of every major newspaper today.

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

The Leader of the Opposition knows the rules on props.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm just holding them up briefly, Mr Speaker.

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

The clock's ticking.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the Prime Minister now rule out prosecuting ABC journalists Dan Oakes and Sam Clarke and News Corp. journalist Annika Smethurst for doing their jobs? Does the Prime Minister agree that journalism is not a crime?

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

I agree that journalism is not a crime, but I agree also, and I wonder if the Leader of the Opposition agrees, that if people, whatever profession they're in—whether they're politicians, journalists, public officials, anyone—there is no-one in this country who is above the law. People should not be prosecuted for their profession. They should only be prosecuted if indeed they have been found to have fallen foul of the law. I do not believe that those decisions about who should be prosecuted at the end of the day should be made on the whim of politicians; I think they should be made based on the rule of law and the proper assessment of appropriately constituted law enforcement agencies. That is why we have provided—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Could the Prime Minister pause for a second. Those on my left are interjecting far too loudly. I need to be able to hear the Prime Minister. If they keep interjecting, I will take the required action.

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

The government believes absolutely in press freedoms in this country, and we have taken the step to add additional defences into our laws to ensure that journalists can get about their tasks. In fact, they are protections that exceed that which apply to many others around the country. Those were put in place by our government, not those opposite. I remember that, when those were in government, they sought to gag the press in this country. They sought to gag the press in this country with their failed media reforms. They wanted to implement a public interest test and a public interest media advocate to try to stifle the press in this country. I'm not going to take lectures from a Labor Party who sought in this place, when they were in government, to try to muzzle the press.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs is warned.

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

In stark contrast, we have provided important guidelines to the Minister for Home Affairs, to the AFP and to other law enforcement agencies about how they can best go about their business. I note also the statements from the commissioner of the AFP in the work that he is doing to review these matters. But I'll tell you what: if it comes to a position in this country where prime ministers and politicians decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn't get prosecuted without taking the appropriate advice and without seeing the appropriate proviso which are required under legislation, if we get to the point where the Leader of the Opposition wants to arbitrarily and outside the law decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn't, then that's not a country that I think Australians would want to live in.

Mr Stephen Jones interjecting—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The members for Whitlam and Shortland are warned. The member for Moreton is also warned.