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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Did the Prime Minister personally raise the serious issue of our sailors being harmed with President Xi?

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

At APEC there were no bilateral formal meetings between myself and China. I had a range of private conversations with the people at APEC, and one of the things that characterises good diplomacy and foreign policy is that, when you have a private conversation—just like when I have a private conversation with the Leader of the Opposition—it stays private. That's what happens. That's how you get outcomes. That's how you build trust. That's how you defend Australia's national interest.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order, members on my right! The Prime Minister will pause. The Prime Minister has been going through his meetings. He's answering the question.

Order! The Minister for Climate Change and Energy is warned. The Leader of the Opposition.

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

On relevance—if the Prime Minister raises the issue of trust, he needs to demonstrate it to the Australian people. Did he stand up for our sailors or not?

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

The Leader of the Opposition needs to state the point of order that was about relevance. The Prime Minister has been answering the question, and he indicated his conversations—

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

But can he give an honest answer?

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition knows—

The member for Moreton is warned.

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

It's more about his anger issues. That's what we're seeing.

Opposition members interjecting—

A government member: Yet again.

It's what we see, yet again, being demonstrated here.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order, the member for Barker.

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

We released the information about the incident involving HMAS Toowoomba sooner than for previous incidents that occurred under both governments where protests were made to China. We certainly have done that through all of the channels that you have seen and others that you have not because that is the way that you should deal with those things. We have been totally public and transparent and have gone after these issues, defending the fact that our sailors were put in a position that they should never have been put in. Our primary concern was always standing up for the interests of Australians and our Defence Force. You stand up for the interests of Australians by delivering a foreign policy in international relations that ensures that you're around the table and ensures that you're engaged. We have said: we'll cooperate with China where we can, and we'll disagree where we must. Those opposite disagreed where they could, disagreed where they had to and just disagreed full stop, exclamation mark! That's not the way to deliver outcomes with our major trading partner. That's not the way to deliver outcomes in the interests of our nation as well.

The truth is that, under those opposite, our international relations with China, with France, with the United States, with Greece, with others—as you go around and talk to international leaders—from the damage that was done by the leaking of text messages to France— (Time expired)

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order. There's far too much noise in the chamber.