Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. Can the minister confirm whether he has taken his golf clubs with him on any defence VIP special-purpose aircraft flights and, if so, on how many flights?

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

The member for Paterson will cease interjecting.

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

I thank the member for his question. Let me be clear: every place I have been and everything I have done have been in pursuit of my duties as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence on behalf of this country, and I stand absolutely by every flight I have ever taken on the special-purpose aircraft or, for that matter, any flight I have taken commercially. This issue is being kicked along because of a dodgy spreadsheet which was peddled and developed in the Leader of the Opposition's office.

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

I call the member for Canning on a point of order.

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back to relevance, the question was very specific: whether or not the minister had taken golf clubs—

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

The minister is being relevant, and I'll make sure he returns to the question.

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

The question goes to the use of the special-purpose aircraft, and this is being kicked along because of a spreadsheet which was produced by the Leader of the Opposition's office and which is riddled with errors. The fact is that this is in the public domain because this government released information about the use of the special-purpose aircraft. During the period of time that the now Leader of the Opposition was then Minister for Defence, absolutely no information was released about the use of the special-purpose aircraft during the time that he was the Minister for Defence—not one piece of information at all. It begs the question as to what the Leader of the Opposition has to hide. But we have something of an inkling in relation to that by virtue of his behaviour since he has been the Leader of the Opposition because, as the now Minister for Defence, my office has logged numerous requests from the Leader of the Opposition about him going on special-purpose aircraft—including, in the last six weeks, two times at least, in writing, to go to a game of the Matildas.

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

The Leader of the Opposition on point of order.

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

I seek clarification from you. Is it your ruling that the minister is in order, given the question was particularly tight:

Can the minister confirm whether he has taken his golf clubs with him on any defence VIP special-purpose aircraft flights and, if so, on how many flights?

It could haven't been a tighter question—

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

The Leader of the Opposition knows there is only one point of order on relevance, which was taken before. The minister is talking about special-purpose flights. I am just going to make sure his answer is relevant to the question.

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

It is just a little revealing of what hurts them the most about the fact that they are now in opposition. As sincere public servants we might think they regret the fact that they don't have the opportunity to serve the Australian people, but we know in their darkened rooms the only conversation they're having is about how they get back on the planes. If the requests from the Leader of the Opposition to my office are any indication, it has been their singular focus. The special-purpose aircraft are an important capability which facilitate government travel. We use it appropriately. Those opposite know it. Their attempt to politicise it is pathetic, but worse it reeks of hypocrisy.