Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How can the Prime Minister claim he hasn't had the time to establish a national integrity commission when he spent a week campaigning for the Queensland state election, including attending an LNP fund raiser with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Queensland opposition leader?

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

The member for Griffith knows the rules on props. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I thought she had more to add to her question.

It was a great opportunity, last week, to go to Queensland and share with Queenslanders from the Gold Coast all the way up to Cairns, through Townsville, through Rockhampton and through the suburbs of Brisbane, the economic recovery plan that was handed down by the Treasurer when we last sat in this place two weeks ago, whether it was of Caboolture smash repairs, the steel fabricators, the coral trout exporters in Cairns or visiting apprentices, trainees, businesses and communities across Queensland. It was so exciting to hear from businesses about how they are graduating from JobKeeper—a JobKeeper program that ensured that they could keep their business together, keep their employees together. Then on the other side they could shift gear. They could shift gear and grow again, and put on more apprentices, put on more trainees, bring employees back that they had to let go and increase their hours.

In Queensland last week I had the opportunity—as did the Deputy Prime Minister, who was also in Queensland going up and down the Bruce Highway with the minister for resources—to see the great work being done by our magnificent members, whether it is the member for Herbert or the member for Dickson. I was with the member for Dickson in a sign making business, which is doing a remarkable job investing in new technology. All of these businesses, all of these communities, understand that this budget was the budget that Australia needed. It was the budget Queensland needed to get Queenslanders working again, to see Queenslanders coming back into jobs, because for Queensland to go forward it is important—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. 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

Thanks, Speaker. On direct relevance—the question goes to the inability to act on a national integrity commission but finding the time to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser.

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

Just on that, I don't think I need to hear from the Leader of the House unless he wants to. If the question just did that—we have been over this ground before—you would have a point. But when a question asks the Prime Minister why he spent the week campaigning he's entitled to explain how he spent the week. He's refuting that part of the question. If it wasn't in there he wouldn't have the chance to refute it. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In speaking to the apprentices, the business owners and those who are working to get Queensland working again it made me reflect again: how good is Queensland? How good is Queensland? The Leader of the Opposition wouldn't know, because the Queensland government won't let him come to Queensland. The Leader of the Opposition couldn't spend 14 days in the ACT to spend a day in Queensland. I welcomed the welcome from the Queensland Premier to come to Queensland. Bu there's one person who's not welcome in Queensland: the Leader of the Opposition, and he's not that welcome in Newcastle either according to the member for Hunter. There was a time you had to get on a bullock train to get from Maitland to Newcastle, that would've been an excuse, but you can get there in about half an hour now— (Time expired)