Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, President, you know how I always obey your rulings and listen very respectfully to them. I dare say that it's so on this occasion as well. As I said, Minister King has made clear the basis of her decision, as have a number of other ministers over the last couple of weeks.

But the question does go to the government's decision regarding Qatar Airlines. I take the opportunity to remind the chamber of when the coalition were in power and Mr McCormack was then the transport minister. In fact, in just the last couple of weeks he said: 'When I became Deputy Prime Minister and transport minister in February 2018 I made a decision to put on hold an application by Qatar Airways,' so this concept that it's only a Labor government that has ever done this is absolute rubbish. (Time expired)