House debates Questions without Notice
Allowable Matters
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:00 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the clarification he provided to the House yesterday when he said that, at the time of the election—‘at that stage’—he had no intention of reducing the number of allowable matters. At exactly what stage did the Prime Minister decide to reduce the number of allowable matters? Did it happen to be at the stage that he got majority control of the Senate and at the same time he decided to remove the rights of young people to vote, remove disclosure of large political donations, remove the rights of members to speak on and debate amendments to bills, close down Senate committees and rort Hansard? Prime Minister, isn’t this a systematic display of arrogance and avoidance of scrutiny?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
On a point of order, Mr Speaker: quite apart from the falsity of most of the claims contained in that question, it was clearly out of order. The language was clearly out of order. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to make those sorts of claims, there are procedures of the House and they should be used.
David Hawker Speaker
I note the last part of the question was not appropriate. The first part of the question—
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Could I say the reason why: in the 32 years I have been in this place, I have not, like many other members, made a habit of altering in any way the Hansard record of things I have said, so I want that withdrawn.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! the Prime Minister has called for that accusation to be withdrawn.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
I seek leave to table the ABC Sydney news. Last night—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, this goes to his point!
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I call the Leader of the Opposition.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I honestly do not mind withdrawing it because—I need to ask you a question, Mr Speaker—I agree that, when a member of parliament wants something withdrawn, they ought to do so. If I had called him a nasty name, I think that would be appropriate. I have made the suggestion to him that he rorted Hansard. It is quite possible for him to answer that particular accusation—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw that part of the question.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
All right, Mr Speaker, I will withdraw that, and what I will ask the Prime Minister is: why did you alter Hansard?
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Leader of the House will resume his seat.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Howard interjecting
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I am on my feet, and if he chooses to defy the chair, I will deal with him. I call the Leader of the House.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has not properly withdrawn his claim.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
He has not properly withdrawn his claim. He is accusing the Prime Minister of doctoring the Hansard, something which is not true and is scurrilous, and it should be fully, totally, unconditionally withdrawn.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I withdraw the word ‘rort’. That, I think, is the word that is objectionable, because ‘Hansard’ would not have been objectionable to the Prime Minister. ‘Rort’ is withdrawn. I have now rephrased the question: why did you alter Hansard, along with all the other things that I included—
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I did not alter Hansard.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I did not alter Hansard, and the Leader of the Opposition is so fond of throwing allegations around. I would like the Leader of the Opposition to have the courage to demonstrate in a proper forensic way what happened. I would like him to do it.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will resume their seats.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Howard interjecting
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
The level of interjections is far too high, and I will deal with someone if it continues. Does the Prime Minister wish to continue his answer? The Prime Minister has the call.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Leader of the Opposition asked me a long question which included an inaccurate claim that I had altered Hansard. If he is referring to the fact that, through a slip of the tongue, I said ‘Labor’ rather than ‘Liberal’, I can assure him the correction was not made at my request or instigation. It was made automatically by the Hansard staff. I want to say to the Leader of the Opposition that he has wasted 10 minutes of question time making a phoney allegation like that. It is of a piece with the absurd, over-the-top claim he made that in some way the government is behaving in an evil fashion in order to have the committee system that operated for 12 of the 13 years that the Labor Party was in office. Because we are bringing that back, we are somehow or other overturning parliamentary democracy. This is a bit rich coming from a man who served as Deputy Prime Minister to Lord Keating when he was Prime Minister, who basically looked across the dispatch box, looked at the serfs on the other side and said, ‘Question time is a privilege extended by the executive to the parliament.’
If the Leader of the Opposition has forgotten, let me remind him that in a very interesting interview back in 1994—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Yes, I have a very long memory, let me say to the Leader of the Opposition. I remember this interview very well because I took part in it with the Leader of the Opposition.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Standing order 104—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The member for Grayndler would be well aware that the Leader of the Opposition asked a lengthy question and the Prime Minister is very much in order.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The indomitable John Shovelan asked a very searching question on the PM program. He said, ‘Mr Beazley, why is it that the government thinks it is unnecessary for the Prime Minister to turn up each day? Why is it that we need to cut his requirement at question time?’ Mr Beazley said in response, ‘Well, there are very few governments who think it is necessary for the Prime Minister to turn up every day.’ Such arrogance. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that, for so long as I am Prime Minister of this country, I will turn up every day, I will make myself accountable and I will go on answering double the number of questions of any of my predecessors, let alone Labor predecessors. This is the most accountable executive since Federation.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I seek leave to table—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat and he is warned. The member for Grayndler will resume his seat or I will deal with him. The member for Grayndler sought to take a point of order. That was not a point of order. He is warned.