Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Why did Mr Morrison say in question time yesterday that he told the Leader of the Opposition where he was going on holiday while bushfires raged across the country when he had not?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. I believe that Mr Morrison addressed those matters in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon and I'll draw the senator's attention to the Hansard.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did Mr Morrison then stand up for a second time and double down on his comments, even though they were not true?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to my previous answer.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a second supplementary question?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister confirm that more than an hour after falsely claiming he had told the opposition leader where he was going on holiday, and only after the Leader of the Opposition had left the chamber, Mr Morrison stood up for a third time to correct the record? Why does Mr Morrison have so much trouble telling the truth?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed Mr Morrison did address those issues, as I said in my primary answer, when he stood in the House yesterday afternoon. Of course, those opposite—predictably, and as I thought might be the case—are seeking as always to play the man. Their ambition is to play the man and not the ball. Their ambition is to make sure that they get to run the grubbiest and most personal election campaign possible, without any resort on their part to policies, to values or to any of the types of things that might actually be to the benefit of the Australian people.

We can see this in terms of the tactics the Labor Party are playing, day in and day out. We can hear the talking points in every interview that comes along. Every time one of them is up there—and it's usually not Mr Albanese, because they keep him in a box somewhere, but whenever any of the rest of them are up there—they of course all have their scripted attacks. Each of them goes straight to the personal, straight to trying to besmirch the Prime Minister and straight to trying to make sure that they undermine him in whatever way they possibly can. That's the type of grubbiness we no doubt will see from those opposite from now until polling day. (Time expired)