Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. I refer to the Treasurer's statement that you will be going through the budget line by line and making sure that spending is about building value and not buying votes. In light of this, will the government be honouring its pre-election promise to spend $20,000 building a 'frog bog' at Malmsbury Primary School, announced in the Labor electorate of Bendigo just 15 days before the election?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Henderson for the question. I thank her—

Hon ourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson has asked a specific question, which the minister has stood to answer and there's disorderly calling out on both sides of the chamber—

Senator Sterle! Minister.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Henderson for the question and for reminding the chamber of the fiscally responsible way that we are going about managing a broken budget, heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal debt after we inherited a budget from a government that has spent more, borrowed more and delivered less than any other government.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I'm waiting for your own side to be quiet, Senator Henderson. I assume it's a point of order?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it is. On a point of order of direct relevance, it was a very specific question relating to a pre-election promise to spend $20,000 building a frog bog. Yes or no: will that be delivered? Including: is it fiscally responsible?

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the toads?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McGrath! Senator Henderson has raised a point of order. She is entitled to a response. You did ask a general question. You talked about line by line, and then you asked specifically in relation to a budget measure at a particular school, so the minister is being relevant.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I will get to the substance of the question. But, as you said, the senator did go to the fact that we are auditing the budget and going through it line by line, and it is really important work. It's essential work, if we are going to reprioritise within existing funding to shift the budget from political buyoffs that plagued the previous government—

Op position senators interjecting—

The member for New England seemed to get a lot of attention. The price of zero wasn't zero, was it Senator Birmingham? No. And we saw that in the budget with billions of dollars. The government made a range of election commitments. They're all contained in this plan, which I'm sure you all have, because it's a very, very successful plan that we took to the last election. The election commitments as outlined in this plan—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I regret to have to raise a point of order on direct relevance again. It was a question specifically about the frog bog. Whether it is fiscally responsible is very questionable—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, please resume your seat. There is no point of order. The minister is being relevant.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This document outlines all of our election commitments and their fiscal impact, and it is the government's intention, as the Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions, to do what we promised we would do before the election if we were successful. So the answer to that is: where we have made election commitments, we will be delivering on them.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, first supplementary?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again refer to the Treasurer's statement that she'll be making sure that spending is about building value and not buying votes, and I'm quite confused by the last response because it sounds like the minister is contradicting herself. One minute it's assessing, and the next minute it's—

I'm sorry, Minister, I haven't finished my question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's no point of order. I haven't finished my question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, resume your seat! Senator Henderson, please sit down. Minister?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a question. The standing orders don't contemplate a speech instead of questions.

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

On the point of order, earlier this week, President, you provided some advice to the chamber in relation to supplementary questions, having been asked to do so by Senator Wong and those opposite. In that advice you did encourage those making supplementary questions to ensure their supplementary question drew a link to the answer that was provided previously, which is precisely what Senator Henderson was just doing.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I'm going to rule on the point of order, unless there's a different point that you wish to make.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order: I'm not sure that the confused state of the senator's mind, as she described it—her state of confusion—is something that is necessarily an important part of a question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, please resume your seat—unless it's an entirely different point of order, which I will come to after I've ruled on your first point of order. I haven't yet ruled on your first point of order, so please resume your seat.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said I would come to that after I've ruled on this point of order. I draw senators' attention to rules for questions 106 which simply say—and this has been reinforced by a number of presidents—that questions should not be prefaced by a statement. Senator Henderson, you have a second point of order?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to Senator Wong's derogatory statement about my state of mind—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, there was no point of order there.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I make the point of order, Madam President?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I've ruled on it; there is no point of order. Please resume your seat.

Honourable senators interjecting—

May I also remind senators that points of order are not opportunities for group discussions; that was Senator Parry.

Please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, I am not entertaining a point of order.

Senator Henderson, may I draw your attention to the fact that I am the President of the Senate, not you, and that, when I ask you to resume your seat, that is what I expect to happen. I don't expect you to continue to try and debate an issue. Minister Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought I was referencing Senator Henderson describing herself as being confused by the minister's answer, but, if it was offensive to her, I'm very happy to withdraw.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. Senator Henderson, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, I've just drawn to your attention that it's not a debating point. The question is live. Please resume your seat. Minister.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She was only halfway through the question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My apologies, Senator Henderson. There's been so much disruption that I was confused. I thought the minister was answering.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could I just get some clarification. Could I start the question again and start the clock at the top?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again refer to the Treasurer's statement that you'll be making sure that spending is about building value, not buying votes. In light of this, will the government be honouring its pre-election promise to spend $11,000 on painting a mural at the Kingsway markets, announced in the now Labor electorate of Pearce just seven days before the election?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Birmingham, Senator Wong! Order! Senator Henderson has asked a question to which the minister rose, and she's entitled to give her response in silence.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer is the same as the previous answer, in that, where we have made election commitments, we intend to deliver upon those election commitments. We are ensuring—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are building value. And all of those community programs that we—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Minister, please continue. I believe the minister is still continuing.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We made a range of commitments across a number of electorates around small community programs and sporting infrastructure programs. They were detailed and outlined ahead of the election and in our election costings. They are modest and they are important to local communities. It stands in stark contrast to the approach that those opposite took when you embezzled funds in the car park rorts. Remember that? You established them, told everyone they were eligible for them, and then, when you put it in their— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, a second supplementary?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From frog bogs to murals, sandpits, splash parks or even a 'wall of friendship', can the minister confirm the—

On a point of order, Madam President: Senator Wong is making disparaging comments across the table about me, continuously. Could I ask you to ask her to cease this behaviour.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, there is so much noise in the chamber it is impossible for me to hear. Please resume your seat. Would Senator Wong like to consider the comments she made, which I did not hear, and withdraw them if necessary.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you asking me to withdraw my comment that you've lost Corangamite twice? Is that what I'm asked to withdraw? I think people know in this place that I'm always happy to withdraw if it assists the chamber.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, you don't have the call.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm being asked to withdraw. What am I being asked to draw, Senator?

What—that you lost Corangamite twice? That's what you want me—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong. Order!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a fact. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to withdraw it but, if it assists, I withdraw.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From frog bogs to murals, sandpits and the wall of friendship, can the minister confirm that, contrary to the Treasurer's lofty statement about not buying votes, the Albanese government went on a massive pre-election vote-buying spree across Labor and marginal electorates? (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! Order! Senator Marielle Smith, order on my right!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first point I'd make is that I will not be lectured about buying votes by a former government that spent nine years and billions of dollars doing exactly that in every single budget. Where we made local commitments, important community investments in local infrastructure and sport that were supported by local communities, at the election—very modest programs—we made those commitments before the election. In case you didn't notice, we won the election, and we will be delivering on those election commitments in full—in full!