Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to comments by the member for Brisbane, Ms Gambaro, who said yesterday:

… we cannot govern the country through belligerence and hubris.

Is Ms Gambaro referring to the minister, the Prime Minister or the Treasurer?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not represent the member for Brisbane in this place.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are turning tail and running out the door!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, your colleague is about to ask a supplementary question.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Whilst not representing Ms Gambaro, I wish to ask further questions of you about her comments. She said this yesterday as well:

We cannot govern ourselves in an internal climate of fear and intimidation. And that is the unacceptable situation we have endured for the past five years.

To the minister representing the Prime Minister, I ask: will the Prime Minister continue to bully his own backbench?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure that Senator Moore could have done a lot better on her own, but undoubtedly she got a question from the questions committee that she was forced and required to ask. We know how it works on the Labor Party side. Let me say that on our side, if you were to assert that there is fear and intimidation, the fear and intimidation goes to such an extent that backbenchers feel comfortable making statements! I think that answers itself, does it not? That answers itself. I say that there is no fear and intimidation in any way, shape or form. However, I say that the government can do better in the service of the people of Australia. Of course, it can. It will, because it must for the sake of the Australian people. (Time expired)

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Carr and Senator Conroy, the level of your voices is just as disturbing as your interruptions. Please desist.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer again to three comments made by Ms Gambaro yesterday of bullying by the Prime Minister and his office. In light of today's vote, which indicated some no-confidence, will the Prime Minister's chief of staff continue to attend cabinet, veto ministerial staff appointments and decide when the Minister for Foreign Affairs can travel abroad?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have often said that one of the fringe benefits of being in public life is that you get free character assessments. It would be fair to say that the free character assessments are not only shared from this side with each other but of course with the other side with themselves as well, such as—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. The question was: Will the Prime Minister's chief of staff continue to attend cabinet, veto ministerial staff appointments and decide whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs can travel abroad? It is directly relevant to the Prime Minister's office and he represents the Prime Minister. He should answer the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister had just commenced addressing the question. The minister has 38 seconds left.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, what the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate just did was provide the Senate with a truncated version of Senator Moore's question, seriously and studiously avoiding the preamble, because that was the area in which the Australian Labor Party left itself exceptionally vulnerable. Can I simply say to those opposite and to remind them that some people say:

Again, what I’m going to do in terms of the leadership debate, is be consistent. And consistently, I say that I support the Prime Minister, and I support our Prime Minister because of what she’s got done in this period of the minority government.

(Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have called him to order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The clock had finished some time ago.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has concluded his answer.