Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How many of the 2,900 visas from Gaza have been cancelled?

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

As I've said before: I thank the member for his question. We're being guided every step of the way by our security agencies. Our agencies constantly examine issues. That doesn't stop when someone is granted a visa.

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

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Order! The member for Hume and the Prime Minister will cease interjecting so I can hear from the—

The Treasurer will cease interjecting so I can hear from 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, I seek your ruling on whether the Prime Minister is relevant to the question he was asked.

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

The Leader of the House on the point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm presuming he's raised a point of order on relevance. It was phrased as though it was a question at the end of question time. But, to speak to the point of order, the standing orders provide that the answer be relevant to the question. The terms of the question went to those visas, went to the concept of cancellation. So, for the Prime Minister to be talking about those visas and to be talking about the processes that were used with our security agencies is clearly relevant to the terms in which it was asked.

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

Order!

Order! The member for Barker and the Attorney-General! We'll deal with this in an orderly and respectful way. Member for Wannon, further to the point of order.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the question didn't go to 'the concept of', as the minister for immigration has said. It was very clear. How many of the 2,900 visas from Gaza have been cancelled? There's no 'concepts of'. It's just a question, 'How many?'

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

I can appreciate that the member for Wannon would like, as I've said in my earlier remarks, a number, would like a figure. And that's the question you've asked. Within that question, obviously I can't make the Prime Minister give the member the number, just as I can't ask any minister to answer a yes-no question. The Prime Minister has to be directly relevant, has to talk about this set of visas or how the visas were issued or why the visas were issued to be directly relevant. If the Prime Minister strays off into another topic or another area he won't be directly relevant, and I'll bring him to order. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I am speaking about the process that happens with the granting of these visas, and that is what I am asked about. And from a group of people who held press conferences and used to say they wouldn't discuss anything at all about whether there were any visas at all, because of security issues like on-water matters—it is unbelievable that they expect that they will get answers on details.

When it comes to the granting of visas, they're granted in the same way; our security agencies are involved—the same security standard.

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister is talking about the visas being issued. I'm just going to make sure he's being directly relevant to the question.

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

And I am, Mr Speaker. And that doesn't stop when someone is granted a visa. Our security agencies continue to do their job. That is what they do. I haven't been speaking about other things—if I was asked about cost of living or if I was asked about anything that they seemingly don't care about. But all they care about is going down this negative road, because we know who this bloke is. He showed us from the time he walked into this place, and the time he walked out.