Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. In response to the reports that Craig Kelly threatened to resign from the Liberal Party and bring down the government, former Prime Minister Turnbull this morning declared, 'that is the worst and the weakest reason not to have a preselection process'. Does the Prime Minister agree with former Prime Minister Turnbull?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Again, I remind senators on my right: silence during questions, so that I may hear them.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Senator Macdonald, take a breath after I make a ruling. Senator Cormann.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, the assertion underpinning that proposition is wrong. Mr Kelly did not threaten to resign or bring down the government. So that is No. 1. And I can indicate to the chamber, as is a matter of public record now, that the Prime Minister did take steps to support a number of incumbent members of parliament in the House of Representatives in New South Wales that were up for preselection. Given that we are getting to the pointy end of the electoral cycle, that seems like a sensible thing to do, and it is not unlike something that Mr Shorten has done on a number of occasions. Again, this is just a matter of party organisational management, and I think that Mr Morrison has demonstrated great leadership in securing the outcome that he has secured.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a supplementary question.

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning, former Prime Minister Turnbull said:

I mean what the Prime Minister should be doing if Mr Kelly has made that threat, he should stand up to him and say 'if you want to go to the crossbench and create trouble that's your responsibility.'

Why did Mr Morrison fail to stand up to Mr Kelly?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think that the good senator didn't listen to the answer to the primary question. As I've indicated in response to the primary question, Mr Kelly did not make that threat, and consequently the question doesn't make sense. The question doesn't make sense because it makes an assumption on something that did not happen, and there is nothing further to it.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a final supplementary question.

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Former Prime Minister Turnbull has said that giving into threats like those made by Mr Kelly is, 'The antithesis of good government.' Given the Morrison government is so chaotic, so divided and so dysfunctional it no longer has an agenda and it can't even govern itself, isn't Mr Morrison's capitulation just another example that his is the antithesis of good government?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here is a question asked by the exemplar of good government in New South Wales—the absolute exemplar of good government in New South Wales. Let me—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Order, on my right.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Senator Macdonald. Senator Wong, on a point of order?

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

She's better than you, mate.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order.

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

Point of order—relevance. Senator Cormann used to care about what Malcolm Turnbull said. We've asked about what Mr Turnbull said.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been speaking for 11 seconds. You've reminded him of part of the question. I invite the minister to continue his answer.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Not only was Senator Keneally not a very good Premier of New South Wales; she's also not very good at adjusting her questions, because if she had listened to the answers to the first two questions—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cormann. Order. Senator Collins, on a point of order.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Yes, the question was asked by Senator Keneally, but the question is not about Senator Keneally; it's about the former Prime Minister.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister spoke for 10 seconds and I could barely hear a word he said due to the interjections. You've reminded the minister of part of the question and its nature. I invite the minister to continue.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Well, the second supplementary, asked by Senator Keneally, repeated for the third time an assertion that is wrong and that I dismissed in my response to the primary question. So the point I'm making is that there was no such threat by Mr Kelly; hence, all of the consequent suggestions are wrong.