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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why does the Prime Minister believe that he shouldn't be subject to the normal rules of integrity and accountability, demonstrated by his failure to answer questions about why he prevented any member from speaking on his union-bashing bill today, why he has repeatedly misled the parliament, why he interfered in a New South Wales police investigation into one of his own ministers, why he was sacked as CEO of Tourism Australia and why he invited his mentor Brian Houston to the White House?

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

I reminded members during the course of question time earlier this week that this is question time; it's not smear time. And, for the member to come in the way that he has and just seeks to cast—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will pause for a second. The level of interjections is ridiculously high. A number of members have been mentioned and warned. Just to be very clear about it, I won't allow a wall of noise to interrupt question time. I'm issuing a general warning. What that means, for those who haven't experienced it before, is that I'll exercise my authority under standing order 94(a) without a warning. It also means that, if I move to name someone, the warning is now. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I reject the smears that have been put by those opposite in framing that question and I would invite them to put questions about matters of policy—matters of aged care, as we already have had from one of the members, which I'm happy to take. I think that was a very important issue for the member to raise. If all this Leader of the Opposition has is smears and accusations and dramatising in this parliament, if that's all this Leader of the Opposition has—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

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

On relevance, Mr Speaker. It was a very direct question about a range of issues that this Prime Minister has had.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. With the range of topics covered in the question and the nature of the question going to the Prime Minister, I can't at all see how he's not being relevant to the question. You simply cannot ask a question like that, which is very broad in nature, and then try and insist that there be a very narrow answer. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. So, if all the Leader of the Opposition has got is grubby smears, and if that's how he wishes to define himself as a Leader of the Opposition, then I think the Australian public will see this Leader of the Opposition for what he is. All this Leader of the Opposition is demonstrating to the Australian people is that he's like those who would seek to glue themselves to buses and trucks and various things. If you want to know what those who just seek to disrupt the ordinary, everyday activities of Australians look like when they grow a little older, you only need to look at this Leader of the Opposition. The protest T-shirt may be a little tighter than it was many years ago, but this is just a very angry man.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

There he goes. Come on, 'Captain Angry'.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The members for Isaacs and Ballarat will leave under standing order 94(a). The Leader of the Opposition is seeking my call?

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is making a number of personal accusations against me. He's the one who shut down the parliament earlier today.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. Unfortunately, I think what the record will show is the question made a number of accusations and the Prime Minister's making some in return. That tends to happen. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I understand the Leader of the Opposition is very angry. He's very angry because the government is standing up for those who do not want to see thuggery and bullying, particularly against women, as part of their workplace. The Labor Party like to talk big about these issues, but, when it comes to calling them to account and asking them to outlaw thuggish and bullying behaviour in this country, this is their reaction—smears, accusations and even attacking people's faith. I'm not intimidated by the Leader of the Opposition or any of the Labor Party members—

Opposition members interjecting—

That's what you did.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the Prime Minister just made a jibe against the opposition and against individual members of the opposition that is deeply personal. He should be above that one and it should be withdrawn.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order, members on my left!

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

Ms Coker interjecting—

The member for Lyons will leave under standing order 94(a), as will the member for Corangamite.

The member for Lyons then left the chamber.

The member for Corangamite then left the chamber.

Manager of Opposition Business, as strong language as it was, because of the nature of it I was listening very carefully and what I have to say is that, whilst that was very strong language—and I know the Manager of Opposition Business has asked for that to be withdrawn—I can't think of an example where an accusation like that, as strong as it was, has been withdrawn. I can't. But I'm happy to hear from 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, you will find instances where, for the dignity of the House, a Speaker has given someone the opportunity that it would assist the House if they withdrew, and I can assure you it would assist the House if the Prime Minister withdrew.

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

The Leader of the House?

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

The question went directly to the issue of the Prime Minister's faith by nominating the name of the church leader—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Mr Burke interjecting—

Opposition members interjecting—

The Manager of Opposition Business and others interjecting does not help. I didn't hear the last part from the Leader of the House, so I want to hear from the Leader of the House.

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

The question specifically contained an inference with respect to faith because it nominated someone who is a church leader of a particular faith.

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

In my consideration of this matter, I don't agree that that inference was there. The statement the Prime Minister made was a very general one, where he said people had questioned his faith. The difficulty I'm in—

Dr Aly interjecting—

Mr Burke interjecting—

No, I don't need the member for Cowan, nor the Manager of Opposition Business. I'm not in a position to judge whether no-one's questioned his faith. I'm not in a position to judge that. I agree it was very, very strong language. I'll hear from 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, there are two issues. The first is in terms of what the question went to. The question went specifically to areas where the Prime Minister has failed to answer questions. Then it gave a list of examples. All of those are well and truly in the public domain. Secondly, it would assist the dignity of the House if the Prime Minister were given the opportunity to withdraw.

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

Obviously on a very robust day like this there are instances where—

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ask a nasty question—

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

The minister's not helping. I listened very carefully to the Prime Minister, and the Manager of Opposition Business is right that there have been occasions where people have been told it would assist the dignity of the House to withdraw. There have been a number of occasions today where, if things hadn't been said, it would have assisted the dignity of the House—or if they'd been withdrawn. I'm not going to require a withdrawal. I am going to say there are other means open to members, including, if they think that is a misrepresentation, to take that. But I can think of many, many examples of very tough language like that—and I will say it was tough—that have occurred. Had it been the case that it was very personalised and went directly to the person, that would be a different matter, and on that I caution all members speaking. The Prime Minister has concluded his answer? He's got 22 seconds.

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

On the matters he's raised, the reason I won't withdraw this is that those opposite have been engaged in that tactic against me as Prime Minister for some time now. I will stand up for what I believe in and I will stand up for my beliefs.