Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
3:15 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Standing order 62, Mr Speaker.
David Hawker Speaker
The Manger of Opposition Business will come to his question.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
My question is to the Prime Minister.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
David Hawker Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will come to his question.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Does the Prime Minister recall the Treasurer saying on 21 March 2007 in relation to Liberal Party preselections:
The Liberal Party will not endorse anybody who has a controversial record in relation to slurs or allegations and I am sure that when the Liberal Party deals with this matter it will deal with it taking all of those matters into account.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question is in breach of the standing orders. It does not relate to the responsibilities of the Prime Minister in any of the items set out in the standing orders.
David Hawker Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business has not completed his question. I call the Manager of Opposition Business. I will listen closely to the question.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Given that the former Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, John Brogden, has directly blamed Alex Hawke for spreading slurs and allegations about him, does the Prime Minister think that Alex Hawke is a suitable candidate for the Liberal Party?
David Hawker Speaker
That question is not within his responsibilities, but if the Prime Minister chooses to answer the question he may.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I choose to. I want to do two things. First of all, her interjection reminds me to congratulate the member for Mackellar on being re-endorsed by the good folk of Mackellar. I completely support the decision of the Liberal Party preselection committee in Mitchell. I uphold the due processes of my party. The Treasurer and I were exercising the due processes of our party in its Victorian division manifestation when we made the comments that we did before the matter was dealt with by the administrative committee. I take this opportunity—which I have availed myself of in relation to this question—to place on record my very deep affection for and gratitude to the member for Mitchell, Alan Cadman, and for the wonderful job—
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industrial Relations
Mr Brendan O’Connor interjecting
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
that he has done representing the people of Mitchell since that very rainy day on 18 May 1974 when both of us were elected to the national parliament. Alan has been a wonderful servant of the party and the people of Mitchell.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I will have another opportunity of thanking him, but I will thank him now seeing that I am on my feet—and I thank the member for Grayndler for giving me this unexpected opportunity; life is full of surprises, and he is one of them.
Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.