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

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has now had more than one full sitting day to correct his mislead of the parliament—that only eligible projects were funded under his sports rorts scheme. Why has he failed to correct the record when the Auditor-General has given evidence to the Senate that his claim is just not true and that, in fact, 43 per cent is the correct figure?

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

I thank the member for his question. The comments that I made on that matter were made on the basis of the information that was available to me from the ANAO report. That ANAO report, at the time of my making that comment, made only one reference to ineligible projects, as best as I'm aware. On page 9 it said 'no applications assessed as ineligible were awarded grant funding,' and that point was reiterated by the ANAO during the committee hearing. In fact, the ANAO's Brian Boyd reiterated this when speaking to the committee on Thursday 13 February. In response to a question from Senator Canavan, 'Was there a project that received funding that was assessed as ineligible by Sport Australia?' he answered, 'No.' That's what the ANAO responded in relation to that matter. I would refer the ANAO report to the Leader of the Opposition, and he will not find in that report anything to contradict the statement that I made at that time, relying on that report. But I can tell you about another report. In a program administered by the member for Grayndler—

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

The member for Hindmarsh on a point of order?

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

On direct relevance, Mr Speaker. We're halfway through this question. The question was specifically about one report and whether or not the Prime Minister will correct the record.

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

Is the Leader of the House seeking the call? The Leader of the House.

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

The question couldn't have been answered more explicitly and directly. There is always an ability to compare and contrast when we're talking about reports of this type.

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

The point I make is that I have allowed an ability for a brief compare and contrast. The member for Hindmarsh knows that. That's certainly been the practice of previous speakers as well. If you examined the Hansard all the way back, you'd see that, but I also say to the Prime Minister: it's brief; it's not an opportunity to then move on to previous audit reports for the rest of the answer. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I'm happy to be brief in quoting from page 38 of ANAO Audit Report No. 3 of 2010-11, relating to the program administered by the member for Grayndler. It says:

... in one instance, Ministers—

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. It goes to the Prime Minister's misleading of the parliament.

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

What's the point of order?

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

My point of order is: paragraphs 4.32 and 4.33 of the report—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I just say to the Leader of the Opposition that he has other forms of the House to pursue what he's referring to.

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

The member for Lyons can leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Lyons then left the chamber.

It might be better for the member for Lyons to leave the tactics to others when I'm trying to address the House. I'm making the point that the Leader of the Opposition has other forms of the House to pursue that, which he could do almost immediately or later on. One of those forms of the House isn't the ability to raise a point of order and debate the matter. He's asked the question. I've made my ruling on the brief comparison. I think the Prime Minister has almost finished.

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

In one instance it says:

… Ministers made an explicit decision to approve an application that was known to be otherwise ineligible under the Guidelines

That's what the member for Grayndler did. That's what he did. The hypocrisy of him to come into this place, when his hands are blackened by his own failures in this area, is disgraceful.