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

My question is to the Leader of the House. This parliament has been used for 120 years to debate the issues of the day. If, on the day, as new cases are coming out and borders are closing, the government won't accept a debate in the middle of a global pandemic, how bad does a crisis have to be before the government will allow this parliament to be used as a parliament?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been in this parliament for a few years now, and I've seen a few debates. I've seen a few governments in action. I can remember very clearly when the Labor Party was sitting on this side of the House. We were denied, day after day—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I'll tell you what hasn't been accepted by those opposite. What hasn't been accepted by those opposite is that they lost the last election. By definition, having lost the last election, they now sit on that side without the numbers in this chamber. So don't whinge about it! Don't whinge about it; it's a result of your own failings. You went to the last election—

Opposition members interjecting—

You went to the last election promising taxes on every Australian and you wonder why they voted you out. You went to the last election promising to restart boats and to surrender our sovereignty on borders. No wonder the Australian public rejected you. As we move around the country now and speak to Australians from one corner of the country to the other, I'll tell you what Australians are saying, Mr Speaker: 'Thank God Bill Shorten is not the Prime Minister of this country.' That's exactly what people are saying.

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. Members on both sides—

Honourable members interjecting—

Members on both sides! 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. The minister is misleading parliament. People can't move around this country.

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

No, there's no point of order.

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

That's what we want to debate.

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

There's no point of order. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

The member for Moreton is— I call the Leader of the House. I was about to intervene. I'd ask the Leader of the House to be relevant to the question. The question was a procedural one, and he was asked it in his capacity as the Leader of the House. It wasn't an opportunity for a wide-ranging critique or a history lesson on elections past.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you for allowing the member for Moreton to stay here and enjoy my contribution as well. It's a much greater punishment than if you were to send him out of the chamber, so I'm happy he's here. To go to the very point raised in the question from the honourable member opposite, the Australian public has seen the government's response to COVID. And I'll tell you what: Australians look at what is happening around the world and are grateful that we are living in the country that we are today. We made a decision in the National Security Committee of Cabinet over 12 months ago to lock our country down and to close our border with China—the greatest decision we have made during the period of COVID because it stopped that virus coming to our country. At the same time, the Prime Minister has demonstrated the leadership to stand up with the premiers to make decisions in relation to the health system that have saved this country tens of thousands of deaths. Do you think we're going to be lectured by those opposite, with their cheap political—

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

If the Leader of the House could pause for a second. In the time remaining, if he wishes to continue his answer, he has to address himself to the procedural—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm happy to stop there.

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

You've concluded?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I've made my point.

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

Speaking of Russia!

An honourable member: What does that mean?

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition, if you could, firstly, not interject and, secondly, not interject in that fashion when I'm about to call someone. It might give the wrong impression to people listening on radio.