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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, and I refer to his official statement on Saturday. Can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm he has served with the Prime Minister in the parliament for 15 years and he has served with the Prime Minister in the cabinet for six years, including as Deputy Prime Minister? When the Deputy Prime Minister says of the Prime Minister, 'He is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations and that is over a long time,' he knows what he's talking about, doesn't he?

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

The challenge I have is that you can't just quote someone else who's using an unparliamentary term. I'm happy to hear from—

Opposition members interjecting —

To use the term 'liar' is unparliamentary, and there have been many examples where it has been ruled as unparliamentary. The fact that it is used as a quote by anyone—it doesn't matter who it is—doesn't negate the fact that it's unparliamentary and shouldn't be used.

Opposition members interjecting—

I really don't think I need to hear from you. Member for Corio, do you want to reword the question, if you want to be heard on that?

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

Just in terms of the precedents—and the Practice is clear about not being able to evade it by putting someone else's words in your mouth, in terms of the issue with quotations—we are dealing with something new here, where the quote using the unparliamentary language is from the very minister we are asking the question of. Of all the precedents, we haven't had that before, and it is reasonable for that to be tested in the House.

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

I'm happy to hear from the Leader of the House.

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

It's relevant because there was reference to a statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister, so we accept that point. But the assertion that this is somehow requiring a new ruling by you, the Speaker, is a nonsense and a concoction by the honourable member opposite. The reality is that the Practice is clear in relation to this; it can't be subverted. I think the ruling is clear, particularly given your words earlier. It doesn't need reinterpretation. It's a cute attempt to work around it, but it's without any substance.

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. I'm going to rule on the issue. I'm not aware of a similar instance of this happening before, so, in my view, the precedents are very clear that you can't use a quote to correct an unparliamentary term, and that applies equally in this instance as it does at all times. I'm happy to allow the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to reword the question. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I refer to his official statement on Saturday. Can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm he has served with the Prime Minister in the parliament for 15 years and he has served with the Prime Minister in the cabinet for six years, including as Deputy Prime Minister? So, when the Deputy Prime Minister made his observations about the Prime Minister, he knew exactly what he was talking about, didn't he?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I've also worked in the parliament with you for about the same period of time, so I suppose anything I wish to say about you must also therefore be true.

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

Deputy Prime Minister, when you refer to 'you', you're referring to me as chair.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Corio. I've been working with the member for Corio for about the same period of time, so, using his logic, anything I say about him, or anything I say about the member for Grayndler, will also sound—I've been working the whole time with the member for Grayndler. What I can say is that the only time I've worked as the Deputy Prime Minister with the member for Cook as the Prime Minister is in this—and I can tell you what is different, because I've never worked with the Prime Minister on defending our nation till we've worked together now, something that's so vitally important.

I know those in the Greens-Labor opposition do not have a view to the defence of our nation like this Prime Minister has a view to the defence of our nation. I've worked with this Prime Minister as we've built dams. I know that, on the Greens-Labor opposition, you can't actually get the Greens across the line for the construction of infrastructure. I've worked with this Prime Minister as we've built the inland rail, and that's vitally important—something the Labor Party and the Greens never did. I've worked with this Prime Minister as we've dealt with one of the greatest pandemics of modern time, and during that period we had one of the greatest successes because we had one of the lowest fatality rates of anywhere in the globe. Our working relationship has made sure that we've kept this nation safe.

Working with this Prime Minister and the Treasurer, we now have unemployment down to 4.2 per cent. We have more Australians employed than, I believe, any time when the member for Grayndler has ever been in parliament in a Labor government. He's never had unemployment that low. We've got more Australians in work, as I work with this Prime Minister, than ever before. That is a pretty unique relationship, defending our nation, building for our nation and getting Australians into jobs. A million more women have work. I am only too happy to tell you of all the things, as I work with this Prime Minister. I believe that he is, quite obviously, the better choice at the next election to take Australia into a time where we have so many geopolitical issues that we need a competent hand at the tiller. We need a competent hand to be able to guide this nation through something that will be an incredibly complex time. So, yes, I absolutely stand by this person. This is a great Prime Minister, doing a great job. (Time expired)