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 did the Prime Minister try to deflect attention from the thousands of Australians stranded overseas by misleading this House when he wrongly asserted former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had travelled in and out of Australia while the borders were closed? Why is this Prime Minister playing politics while 39,000 Australians—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will pause. Members on my right will cease interjecting.

Mr Tehan interjecting—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

The Minister for Education and the member for Maribyrnong! I'm going to ask the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to repeat the second half of his question—I know he hadn't got through it—just so I can hear it.

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

Why is this Prime Minister playing politics while 39,000 Australians are stranded overseas and won't be home for Christmas?

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

I thank the member for his question. Last night I wrote to you, Mr Speaker—I would table the letter; it's a matter of Hansard anyway, and it's there for all to see—to correct the record of what I said in this House yesterday.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The interjection that has come from the Leader of the Opposition is why didn't I come in here? Because I was chairing the National Security Committee of Cabinet.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr Rudd is a very important previous prime minister, but I'm afraid he's not more important—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

Mr Morrison interjecting—

I've asked you to resume your seat. The level of interjections is unacceptable. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

I take that interjection. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to have an each-way bet on national security, he can, but this Prime Minister never will, and Australians know all about that!

Mr Speaker, I am happy to apologise to Mr Rudd. I wasn't aware of that on the occasion. I had been otherwise informed, and I happily correct the record. I very happily correct the record about Mr Rudd. I'm always happy to treat former prime ministers with the utmost respect, and they deserve that respect. I was making no reflection on Mr Rudd yesterday at all; I was making a reflection on the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who sought to come into this place and attack another former Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, who, it turns out, was one of more than 95,000 people who received independent exemptions to leave the country. Indeed, if Mr Rudd wished to leave the country and he sought to make such an application for an exemption, I have no doubt he would be treated with the same independence that former Prime Minister Abbott was treated with by the Border Force commissioner—indeed, as was the former, and longest-serving, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer.

I'm happy to apologise to Mr Rudd. But, I tell you what, when it comes to the great things said in the offence of Mr Rudd, the Liberal Party cannot compete with those opposite. The member for Watson accused him of chaos, lacking temperament and an inability to make decisions. The member for Gorton accused him of treachery. If anyone owes Kevin Rudd an apology—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

Government members interjecting—

Members on my right!

Mr Littleproud interjecting—

The Minister for Agriculture! 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

Mr Speaker, while I'd be quite happy to have a debate with the Prime Minister about loyalty to people when in office as Prime Minister, this is not relevant. This is about as relevant as when he stabbed Malcolm Turnbull!

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Honourable members interjecting—

Members on both sides! I'm going to give the Prime Minister the call now. He certainly was drifting from the question. I'd invite him to come back to the question or wrap up his answer.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The point is obvious: if Mr Rudd were to seek an exemption to leave the country, it would seem that those on that side of the House would be the first to seek to approve it in the way they spoke about Mr Rudd when he was even in this chamber, standing at this dispatch box, as Prime Minister. But I understand the Leader of the Opposition's affection for Mr Rudd. He has the Rudd force field around him in the protections that were put in place to keep this Leader of the Opposition in his job. Lucky Albo!

An opposition member interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister needs to withdraw that.

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

Mr Speaker, I withdraw that last element.

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

Thank you.