Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today's report 'Gladys Liu linked to donor at centre of cash drop probe' reveals the CEO of the company Brighsun received a million dollars in cash from a heroin trafficker, including half a million in a backpack, and the company donated $105,000 to the Liberals. The company has been subject to a drug-trafficking and money-laundering probe by the Federal Police and Criminal Intelligence Commission. What steps has the Prime Minister taken to investigate links between the health minister, the member for Chisholm and this company?

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

I'll just call the Leader of the House and see what he has to say. We might have different problems with the question.

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

There are multiple problems with the question, but mine is that it is not inside the Prime Minister's portfolio of responsibilities, as broad as they are.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business?

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

Mr Speaker, the part of the question with the initial information has to be there to make sense of the eventual question. When it gets to the question, it is specifically: what steps has the Prime Minister taken? I don't see how what steps the Prime Minister has taken to investigate can be anything other than his responsibility.

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

I hear the Manager of Opposition Business, but the problem is, as I have ruled previously on these matters, if it doesn't relate to the Prime Minister's responsibilities the question's not in order. What I'd say to the Manager of Opposition Business is, where questions have anchored the responsibility to a minister or the Prime Minister, that, indeed, has been their argument about why I should allow them. So, on that question, I'm going to rule it out of order and we'll go to the next question.