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

My question is again to the Prime Minister. Former counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption Geoffrey Watson SC said the Prime Minister's phone call to the New South Wales Police Commissioner 'should never have happened'. He stated, 'It just looks like he's applying pressure,' and, 'It can't be anything else—it must be a favour because why else would he be calling?' I again ask: how on earth was that phone call appropriate?

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

I refer the Leader of the Opposition to my earlier answers. The Leader of the Opposition invited me earlier this week to inform myself of the matters that he'd raised in the parliament and in relation to the Statement of Ministerial Standards. In this very chamber—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I told him exactly what I was going to do to inform myself, both to comply with my duties to this House and to comply with my duties as Prime Minister under the ministerial statement of standards. I did what I said I was going to do. I was up-front about it with the Australian people. I was up-front about it with the parliament. I went and told them what I'd done. I made a decision. What we have seen since that time is the political games being played by a Leader of the Opposition who is more interested in the drama and the carryings on of Canberra politics than he is in the serious issues that are being raised in this place. I know that, because he was on the top of the list when it came to shutting down and gagging a veteran in this chamber who had said they wished to speak on the issue of veteran suicide.

Opposition members interjecting—

The Leader of the Opposition can use all the fine words he likes, but in this chamber, on his direction, one of his members moved that the member for Herbert no longer be heard, and he wished to speak about veteran suicide. Shame on you!

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? He has. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The member for Ballarat can be warned only so many times. She'll leave the chamber under standing order 94(a).

The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.