Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Can the minister confirm the exact date when the Prime Minister or his office were informed of her decision on the application for additional Qatar Airways flights to and from Australia?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hume for his question. As I just said previously, I took the decision on 10 July not to agree to Qatar Civil Aviation Authority's request to double their flights into Australia. I informed the Prime Minister prior to my decision being made public. This is not something that's routinely done. You normally would not—

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

The minister will pause. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

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

Mr Speaker, this is the second attempt to ask the minister for a direct answer. The question is deliberately drafted in accordance with your previous directions about the tightness of questions. There can be no ambiguity about what is being asked. The minister has been asked for a second time, and I seek your ruling, Mr Speaker, in relation to whether the minister is relevant to the question that has been asked.

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

The minister is entitled to a preamble. She's 30 seconds in. A point of order on relevance has been taken. She has so far mentioned a date that I heard her say. I'm going to listen to her carefully to make sure her answer is relevant to the question. Under the standing orders, her answer must remain relevant to the question.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, I took the decision on 10 July, so that's the first date that you've asked. I did inform the Prime Minister prior to my decision being made public, and it's not something that is routinely done, and I doubt very much whether the former minister did that either, because decisions are not routinely done—

Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Give us a date!

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

The member for Bowman will leave the chamber under 94(a)

The member for Bowman then left the chamber.

This is not an excuse to be simply yelling at anyone at the dispatch box.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For context: I had received multiple media requests about the women. That is well canvassed now. I responded to the media request on 18 July, by which point the Prime Minister was aware of the decision I had made. In that same conversation I had with the Prime Minister, he let me know that he had had a conversation with the Virgin CEO, which he has canvassed.

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

Mr Speaker.

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

We're moving to the next question.

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

I have a question for you.

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

You may ask me a question at the end of question time.

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

I raise a point of order.

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

What's your point of order?

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

It is in relation to disorderly conduct in this chamber. I seek your clarification, Mr Speaker, in relation to the conduct of the minister. The minister was asked a specific question on two occasions—

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

Resume your seat.

Honourable members in terjecting—

You're asking me a question about a minister who has concluded her answer, which is whether the answer was in line with your view or whether the question was being answered—is that right?

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

I am seeking the call—

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

To raise a point of order?

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

Yes.

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

The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

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

This has been a fairly volatile question time. You've excluded a number of colleagues, Mr Speaker. So, in efforts to help you—

The minister interjects. The standing orders operate equally to each side. I'm trying to make a point to you.

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

Get on with it.

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

I will. The point is that the minister has been asked, with a specific question, whether or not she can nominate the date. If she wants to take it on notice, that's fine. But the point is that she cannot be in order, and I seek your clarification as to whether or not you will enforce the standing orders to instruct the minister to answer the question that has been asked.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order. I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under standing orders and under Practice, a point of order is taken about an event at the time. The point of order on direct relevance was taken at the time. Your ruling was given immediately. The answer has now concluded. What has just been put by the Leader of the Opposition is maybe a question to the Speaker—I don't know. But it's certainly no longer a point of order, because the question has concluded. There's no ruling you can possibly make.

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

Under the standing orders, on page 53—I'll read standing order 104 for the benefit of the House so people understand exactly what we're talking about. When it comes to answers of ministers:

(a) An answer must be directly relevant to the question.

(b) A point of order regarding relevance may be taken only once in respect of each answer.

(c) The duration of each answer is limited to 3 minutes.

The Leader of the Opposition took a point of order on relevance. I explained to the House where I was at with dealing with the minister. There is nothing in the standing orders to allow the Leader of the Opposition to simply get up and say, at the conclusion of an answer: 'Was that answer fulsome? Was that answer enough?' So, if there are questions, I'm happy to take them at the end of question time, to do with the administration of the parliament. In the meantime, we're going to move to the next question. I give the call to the honourable member for Werriwa.