Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the recent stream of leaks against the Prime Minister: did the Prime Minister go against the advice of his then social services minister by deciding to cut the indexation of the pension?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, these questions are clearly not in order. If the opposition wishes to rephrase them—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House can resume his seat. The question is not in order. If the member wishes to rephrase the question so that it is in order, she may try, but it is currently out of order.

Opposition members: Why?

You know perfectly well why it is out of order: it does not relate to a matter with which minister—

Opposition members interjecting—

I will take the Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The other reason it is out of order is that the question is entirely hypothetical. It is based on rumour, gossip and innuendo. If the opposition wants to ask a question about fact, then they can find under the standing order 100 plenty of room to do so, but asking a question about the rumour, gossip and innuendo that infect this building is not the basis for a question to the Prime Minister. How can the Prime Minister answer that question?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Speaker. The way the Prime Minister can answer the question is by answering 'Yes' or 'No' to whether or not he went against the advice of his then minister to cut the indexation of the pension. That is entirely the responsibility—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The question is not in order under standing order 100. If the member wishes to rephrase, she may do so.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will leave out the first part of the question and ask the Prime Minister whether he went against the advice of his then social services minister by deciding to cut the indexation of the pension.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Decisions of the Expenditure Review Committee are unanimous.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table an article from the newspaper, 'PM's cut—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know that under the standing orders you cannot table something that is already published.