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. Why is it that the Prime Minister ran an advertising campaign for the Urban Congestion Fund a year ago but still hasn't spent any money reducing urban congestion from this fund? Why is it that he had an ad ready on the day he announced a bushfire response but bushfire affected communities are still waiting for support? Why is marketing rather than substance always the priority of this Prime Minister?

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

I've noticed that the Leader of the Opposition always puts politics over the serious issues that need to be addressed in this place.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

Mr Perrett interjecting—

The member for Moreton will leave under standing order 94(a).

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Me?

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

Yes, you. It's happened before, and I suspect it will happen again.

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

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

I totally reject the assertions of the Leader of the Opposition. He constantly comes to the dispatch box treating question time as smear time. The Leader of the Opposition treats question time like he's some sort of Twitter troll. He comes in here on a daily basis seeking to smear, mislead and engage in misrepresentations in a grubby attempt to simply prop himself up, because he has nothing else to talk about.

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

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, on relevance. The question was about the government's advertising campaign as opposed to their actual expenditure and action. The Prime Minister hasn't addressed it at all.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. As I have said before, when a question is specific it requires the answer to be much tighter. When it has a personal element to it, I've made it clear that ministers and prime ministers are able to rebut that, and it would be unfair to do otherwise. If there's going to be a question that has a personal element to it, as I said, I have a choice: I can rule the question out of order or I can allow the minister or the Prime Minister to deal with that matter and have an opportunity to rebut it. That's the approach Speaker Andrew took, and I think that's the right one. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

I reject absolutely what the Leader of the Opposition put to this chamber when he came to his feet yet again. This is what the Leader of the Opposition constantly does. He thinks this place is some sort of a game. The issues that are happening outside of this place somehow fall on his deaf ears, as all he does is constantly focus on the smear games of politics.

He talked about advertising. Already on the Labor side they have an advertisement that actually features Defence Force personnel, and he comes in here lecturing this government about those types of practices. I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to turn his attention to what is the focus of the government. Right now we are dealing with the very serious issue of Australia's response to the coronavirus. The Leader of the Opposition is even yet to ask me a question on the fact. Last week he couldn't even bother turning up to a briefing on the topic, preferring to do selfies with sports stars than inform himself about the coronavirus. When we approached him a week ago so the National Security Committee could meet, they engaged in disruptive, pathetic games in this place. I'm not going to take lectures from the Leader of the Opposition, who is the equivalent of a Twitter troll in this parliament. I table this document.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister or a minister can table a document at any time at all.