Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, this fortnight, he has denied saying electric vehicles would 'end the weekend', denied paying parents to vaccinate their children, wrongly claimed he texted he was going on a holiday to Hawaii and blamed Labor for his failure to introduce an anticorruption bill? Why does the Prime Minister have such difficulty with the truth?

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House.

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

It was a barely credible question all the way through, and then, at the end, he flicked a switch to vaudeville. The last part of that question is completely out of order because it contains a slur. It's only said for the TV cameras, and the Australian public should see through it.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business.

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

The question deals with a series of issues that have been the subject of question time over the last fortnight. On the final part of the question that the Leader of the House just referred to, there are specific rules as to how honesty can be tested in this place and words that are not allowed to be used, and the wording of this question is consistent with the precedents that have previously been allowed.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unless the Manager of Opposition Business would like to take me to Practice for some precedents on those, I'm not minded to allow the last part of the question. I'm going to allow the Prime Minister to answer the question, but the last part is out of order.

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

What I can confirm is, frankly, the Labor Party is so focused on the trivialities of politics and cheap 'gotcha'.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

This is the great accusation that the Labor Party makes against me as Prime Minister—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. I'm going to invite the member on my left that yelled out an unparliamentary remark to withdraw it. I didn't see who it was, but—

An honourable member: What a shock!

The member for Whitlam is seeking the call.

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said the word 'corruption' and I withdraw.

Government members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Whitlam! The Leader of the House?

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

Again, the withdrawal needs to be unconditional. This member is a habitual offender, as we know, but he should withdraw unconditionally or, frankly, he should leave the chamber.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I interpreted the member for Whitlam's withdrawal to be without reservation. His further comment was made out of order, I might add, but as a remark to someone else's comment. So it wasn't an equivocal withdrawal, at least from what I could hear anyway. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

The Labor Party opposition prove day in and day out that they're more interested in the slurs, sledges and trivialities of politics and coming in here and showboating around than focusing on the issues that are really demanding the attention of the Australian people that our government are focused on—getting them into jobs, keeping them safe, driving our manufacturing industries forward, getting electricity prices down and standing up to those who would seek to coerce Australia and threaten the interests of Australians. These are the strong things that our government have done. These are the strong focuses that we as a government have. The weakness of the ALP and the weakness of their leadership brings them back to the trivialities. Their big problem with me as Prime Minister is apparently that I go home for Father's Day, I have a holiday with my family and I go to church on a Sunday. Get over it. A lot of Australians do.