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. Will the Prime Minister concede that, in cutting corners on security assessments to bring in 1,300 people from the terrorist controlled Gaza war zone on tourist visas, he has made Australia less safe? Will the Prime Minister admit that his visa for votes scheme was only done to shore up votes in the seats of Watson, McMahon and Blaxland, and doesn't this go to his true character?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Because there was far too much noise, there is a part of the question I want to clarify. The Leader of the House?

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

I raise an issue on questions containing imputations against members and containing imputations on motivations.

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

Yes. I'm just going to ask that that part of the question be withdrawn or rephrased.

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.

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

No, just withdraw that part.

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

You don't want me to change the question? You want me to—

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

Just withdraw the inference.

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

No, that's fine. I withdraw that component of it.

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

Order! The member for Cooper is warned. I'm dealing with a point of order that the Leader of the House has raised. That's highly disorderly. I thank the member for Wannon. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I'm asked a question about character from those opposite, and I'm happy to answer it by beginning—

He promised to smile more, but there's just more abuse. Let me begin by quoting a character, Robert Menzies. This is what he had to say:

It is a good thing that Australia should have earned a reputation for a sensitive understanding of the problems of people in other lands, that we should not come to be regarded as people who are detached from the miseries of the world. I know that we will not come to be so regarded, for I believe that there are no people anywhere with warmer hearts and more generous impulses.

That was the founder of the Liberal Party. He wouldn't recognise this mob today. He would not recognise them.

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They'd call him a teal.

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

The Minister for Industry and Science will cease interjecting.

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

There was a time when the Liberal Party would have seen people fleeing, whether they were fleeing Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Vietnam or Gaza at the moment, and would have had some understanding that this was the worst time to try to malign a whole group of people who are suffering enormously. It's something that we see on our TV screens every night. This morning, if you turned on the radio, the latest hit was a school in Gaza, with real people devastated and losing their lives.

When it comes to security processes, we have faith in our intelligence agencies. They work. Our security and law enforcement agencies do their job on an ongoing basis. We have faith in them. The opposition apparently don't, even though they're the same security agencies and, indeed, the same personnel.

We talk about character when it comes to targeting groups. Whether it is the Lebanese, people in the South Pacific, the Chinese or the entire continent of Africa, they're all fair game. If you're an au pair from Europe and someone can pick up the phone, no problem—you're in.

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ministerial interference!

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

Order! The Assistant Treasurer is warned. I'm trying to hear from the member for Hasluck, and these continual interjections—the member for Hasluck will just pause and resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was a highly objectionable imputation made by the Prime Minister, and he should withdraw it.

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

I was listening closely at the end of the statement, the final part of that question, and a person wasn't named directly regarding that.

Opposition members interjecting—

No. Just to assist the Manager of Opposition Business, just so we're clear, if someone had said a person's name—I'm not going to identify anyone here—and said, 'This person had done this, or, 'This person had done that,' they would have been made to withdraw. I'm just going to remind all members that language is important.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, what's also important is if there are consistent standards applied to both—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Just on the point of order, to be of assistance to the Manager of Opposition Business: the point of order that was earlier taken that requested the withdrawal was based on standing order 100, which applies only to rules for questions.

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

I remind all members, with their questions and answers, to respect and reflect the standing orders.