Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister rule out any changes to or any limitations on live cattle exports from Australia?

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

I thank the member for her question. The only people who've argued to stop or pause the live cattle trade in recent times are those opposite. When foot-and-mouth disease was an issue in Indonesia, those opposite, including the Leader of the Opposition, called for the trade to be stopped, and Murray Watt kept it open. I suggest, just like on live sheep, they should have a discussion in their shadow cabinet on this.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to raise a point of order, and he'll be heard in silence.

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

It's on relevance. The question couldn't have been more direct. Can we just get one straight answer from this Prime Minister?

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

Resume your seat. I know where the Leader of the House—I can read his mind at this moment, but I'll see if I'm wrong. He has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, the comment at the end was not simply an abuse of the standing orders but also happening only minutes after you had given warning that that should not happen again.

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

Yes. We're going to have serious consequences if every time someone gets up and raises a point of order, which they're entitled to do under the standing orders, to stop the flow, to stop the answer, to stop the argument, which they're entitled to do, which is disrupting the parliament, to make a legitimate point of order—it is simply not acceptable to then add a remark or add a snide comment at the end. This is the first day back, and it's not going to happen anymore. You raise the point of order. You state specifically what it is without additional remarks or additional comments. I hope everyone's clear on that. On the point of order?

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I appreciate your guidance. I would add, though, that the conduct of the House would be assisted if the Prime Minister were able to approach his answer to the questions in a genuine way. The question was very simple. It was put succinctly. It's without ambiguity, and the Prime Minister creates a dynamic in this parliament which is against the spirit that you're trying to enforce, through his obfuscation and his complete refusal to answer the questions as you direct, Mr Speaker.

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his support of me. The Prime Minister was asked about ruling out changing limitations on live cattle exports. I'm going to make sure that, for the remainder of his answer, he's being relevant and respecting the standing orders, as everyone else is.

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

Just as the 2014 budget showed the ideological character of the coalition, every time this bloke gets to the dispatch box, it shows his personal character.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will return to the question.

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

We have made it very clear. When it comes to the live cattle export trade, that is a trade that we support. That is a trade that we have gone out of our way to support, including personal contact between me and President Widodo and the work that we did with Indonesia to provide significant support to make sure that trade could continue at a time when those opposite were calling for it to be paused. That's what the members of the Liberal Party were doing at that time.

We think this is an important trade. It's important to have a big distinction between it and live sheep. When it comes to live sheep, I table the document, which is obviously still on the member for Farrer's website, 'Ending live sheep export can be a win for both animal welfare and business'. It's actually pretty good. It outlines exactly why we have taken the decision that we have, and that was something supported by senior frontbenchers across the board there.

When it comes to the live cattle export industry, it goes far shorter distances and has put in place significant reforms to make sure animal welfare is looked after. That is why we support this industry and will continue to do so. I suggest those opposite should back it in next time too, instead of, at the first opportunity—as they do with every single issue, whether its national security or anything else—always looking for product differentiation, as they did when that issue came up in Indonesia.