Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. Minister, why is it that, after years of the Commonwealth government funding the Indigenous dance festival at Laura in Cape York Peninsula, the federal government has refused to fund the festival this year—held just last weekend?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. There are not many questions asked in the arts portfolio by the opposition, so I welcome the question. I am afraid I do not have that detailed information to hand. I am happy to seek—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is why we don’t ask questions.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are so many responses to that, Senator Abetz, but I just thought it better not to go there. I will obtain some advice from Minister Garrett and provide it as soon as is possible.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Could I suggest to the minister that she might ask Senator McLucas, who was there. At that festival Mr Jim Turnour, the member for Leichhardt, said he and Senator McLucas were representing the federal government, and he said that the federal government wanted to ensure the continuing success of the festival so that the Commonwealth could help nurture and protect the culture of Indigenous people. I ask the minister, now that she has had a note from Senator McLucas: was Mr Turnour speaking the truth in that he was saying the federal government wanted to nurture the culture through this festival? If he was speaking the truth, why is it that the government did not provide the normal funding for the festival?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an interesting day for an opposition senator to be talking to the government about speaking the truth. Here is an opposition whose leader called for the Prime Minister of the country to resign on the basis of an email that was found to be false and a forgery—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I draw your attention to the question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and you want to come in here and continue to throw smears at hardworking members of the government. I have no doubt that the member for Leichhardt as well as Senator McLucas will be putting the case for that community as strongly as they put other cases for the communities they represent. They are outstanding representatives of Far North Queensland in this parliament, and I am sure they will be putting their views very clearly to Minister Garrett and the government on this issue. But for you to come in here and yet again suggest that somebody is not telling the truth really demonstrates that those on the other side have no strategy other than a low-rent strategy.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. If Senator McLucas and Mr Turnour are representing these people, why didn’t they, like me, write to the minister more than a month ago seeking this funding?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It wasn’t a real letter! Did you really write it or did you get someone to fabricate it?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Carr, Senator Macdonald is entitled to be heard in silence. Order on both sides!

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why didn’t they make representations to the minister, as I did, for that funding? And, if they did make the representations, why were they unsuccessful in getting it? And why were they so hypocritical as to stand on the stage at the dance festival and pledge undying support for the festival when they have done nothing to get funding for the festival, funding which had been given by the previous coalition government for many, many years past?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The tactics committee must have been a desperate meeting today.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, constant interjection is completely disorderly. Order!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to say that, although there is stiff competition, I think Senator Macdonald wins the prize for the most relevance deprivation in this place. It is all about him, isn’t it? ‘I wrote a letter. I did this. It’s all about me.’ Senator, I am not sure this is the place for you to deal with those personal issues and your difficulty around the fact that you are not in government. I have said on this issue I am not aware of the detail of what funding has or has not been made available, and I will seek advice from Minister Garrett and provide an answer to the Senate. It is unfortunate that Senator Macdonald chooses to use question time to smear members of the government who cannot stand up in response to his question, but he is in fine company, because that is the way Mr Turnbull approaches these matters.

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! Senator Macdonald is on his feet.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: I will not have this incompetent, dishonest minister impugning my integrity.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You need to withdraw that word. You know the offending word.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Which one? ‘Incompetent’ or ‘dishonest’?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know the word you need to withdraw.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If it is ‘dishonest’—and what she has just said is entirely dishonest—and if you so call, I shall withdraw ‘dishonest’ and leave ‘incompetent’ and ‘duplicitous’ there.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: ‘duplicitous’, I would put to you, is unparliamentary. The senator has not withdrawn that. He has no right to qualify his withdrawal for the use of unparliamentary language.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will look at the Hansard. There was a degree of noise in the chamber. I will look at the Hansard after question time and, if there is any need to come back to the chamber, I will.