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

My question is to the Prime Minister. My question is to the Prime Minister. Over the last two weeks, the Prime Minister has dodged about 30 questions on the government's handling of people coming from terrorist controlled Gaza since October 7. It's now clear that, by cutting corners and concocting the visa-for-votes scheme, this government has put domestic political considerations ahead of national security, and Australians are now less safe.

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

Order! I'm going to deal with this issue, Leader of the House. This comment that was used yesterday—I've spent a bit of time overnight dealing with imputations in questions. I know yesterday we had this issue raised. I just want to deal with this so the House is clear with my position. It will take me a little while to get through this, but it's important for the House to understand and for all members to understand moving forward.

Speaker Andrew, in 2000, outlined in detail the most comprehensive description of 'improper motives', and it's highlighted on page 556 of Practice, which outlines those sorts of comments in questions not being allowed or permitted, particularly with personal motives, regardless of where it's directed to. Speaker Smith had examples of ruling questions out of order on 15 February 2021 and 4 December 2018. In those questions—one was to the then Prime Minister and one was to the then Assistant Treasurer—those sorts of characterisations or comments during the questions were ruled out. Speaker Smith on page 12,434 of Hansard, particularly with this issue, said:

I'm certainly not comfortable with the language that just makes assertions, as it did—I'm really not—and those on my left—

who were the then opposition—

wouldn't be comfortable if that sort of language was directed back at them.

I myself, on 14 February, to the member for Ryan, asked her to redirect and rephrase a question, and on 12 February 2024 I asked the member for Curtin to do the same. So for consistency, from Speaker Andrew to Speaker Smith to myself, I'm just going to rule that part of the question out. I'll just allow the Leader of the Opposition to start the question again, without that part of the question, to assist the House.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Prime Minister. Over the last two weeks, the Prime Minister has dodged almost 30 questions on the government's handling of people coming from terrorist controlled Gaza since October 7. It's now clear that, by cutting corners, this government has put domestic political considerations ahead of national security, and Australians are now less safe. Will the Prime Minister apologise for breaking his promise before the election to keep Australians safe?

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

Order! The Minister for Industry and Science is warned.

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

I'm asked about questions that have been asked in parliament over the last two weeks, but in fact the questions didn't begin over the last two weeks; they began from last Wednesday. They began from the moment at which our Olympians came home and the Leader of the Opposition did an interview on Sky News in which he declared that no-one should be allowed in from Gaza, even though the fact is that the border from Gaza had been closed for months and there had been no response and no issues raised by those opposite while people were actually coming in. They waited till people weren't coming in and the border was closed.

So there the Leader of the Opposition was, at the moment of the Olympians coming home, which should have been a moment of national unity. He chose division once again. The Australian scarf stayed on, but the mask of this divisive Leader of the Opposition came off, and he's still going. On Monday he asked about terrorist visas; on Tuesday, after being called out for being so angry and for not focusing on the cost of living, he moved that the Treasurer be no longer heard; and yesterday he gagged himself by not asking a single question in question time but having others ask questions which were fed up to them, including questions like the ones today which seemed to suggest somehow that I'm responsible for who's in Qatar. I'll tell you who's in Qatar who I wouldn't allow in Qatar: that's the Hamas leadership. I would not allow them in Australia. That is what I would do.

Yesterday, and every day—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! Members my left will cease interjecting.

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

they've been out there talking about Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary at the department of immigration. He had this to say:

Says the guy—

talking about the Leader of the Opposition—

who allowed the biggest labour trafficking scam in OZ history & at the same time made massive cuts to immigration compliance funding. A labour traffickers dream.

And, indeed, today he's gone on to say about Shadow Minister Paterson:

If he—

Senator Paterson—

read the whole article, I actually said the national security dimension of this is a beat-up.

…   …   …

The checks these people go through are extensive, so to suggest there is a national security risk here is a complete beat-up. There is no evidence that the government recklessly issued tourist visas—

(Time expired)