Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, at a time when Labor's policies are driving up cost-of-living pressures for families, the government has just signed up to funding a $2 trillion loss-and-damage climate fund, which will send money overseas and beyond our region. Prime Minister, doesn't charity begin at home? When will you start helping Australian families instead of giving away their money?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for really repeating a question that I answered last week, and I'll begin the same way. I'll tell you what we won't do, which is to stand at a press conference, with a microphone, making jokes about Pacific islands drowning. That is what we won't do. And the misleading statement from the Leader of the Opposition, aimed clearly—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my right! The minister for skills will cease interjecting. I give the call to the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's opening remarks breach several standing orders: offensive words, reflection on a member. He should turn to the detail of the question.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Cooper will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister is 40 seconds into the answer. It was a very broad question, political in its nature. I'm listening carefully to the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll tell you what was offensive. It was the tactics committee meeting that came up with the question this morning. That's what was offensive. The idea that any foreign aid is giving Australians' money to foreigners ahead of Australian interests—the Leader of the Opposition knows better. He knows exactly what he is doing with that question. The only people who are pleased about that question are the people sitting in the corner up there, because they represent seats that have rejected that sort of dog-whistling tactic from the Liberal Party. The Leader of the Opposition, who pretends he wants to be kinder and gentler, comes into this House and asks a question like that.

I'll tell you what the entry fee is to enter into discussions around the table with our international partners, whether it's the United Kingdom, whether it's the United States, whether it's Japan or whether it's India: it is taking climate change seriously. That is the entry ticket you need in international affairs in 2022. What you don't need is that sort of nonsense. For a political party to say that Australia reducing our emissions isn't good enough because we need a global reduction in emissions, but to then press that button, shows the contradiction which is there. I say to the Leader of the Opposition: you're better than that.

Or maybe you're not!

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is far too much noise in the chamber. Questions will be heard in silence.