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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister assure the House that no person associated with the government or the Liberal Party was responsible for backgrounding journalists over recent days on the details of the Leader of the Opposition’s private medical history? Can the Prime Minister assure the House that the government or the Liberal Party has not engaged private investigators or forensic accountants to examine the private affairs of Labor members or candidates?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is an outrageous smear masquerading as a question, and it should be ruled out of order. They have no evidence. This is just a blatant smear, and this place should not authorise these sorts of questions.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not ruled on anything. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The first part of the question in relation to the Prime Minister’s responsibilities is in order. The Prime Minister is not to be held responsible for party matters. I call the Prime Minister.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very happy to answer the question. I can provide an absolute assurance of a number of things that I certainly had nothing to do with. I was not aware of these things. I can provide an absolute assurance to the House that I had absolutely nothing to do with this. I am not aware of where it came from. I am not aware of any suggestion that it came from any member of my party. I am not aware of any suggestion that it came from any member of my government. I regard the question as contemptible. I believe that the member for Jagajaga has deliberately asked this question to generate a false view that my party and my government are responsible for smearing the Leader of the Opposition.

Let me make a couple of things very clear to the member for Jagajaga. The first thing I would make clear is that I wish the Leader of the Opposition a long and healthy life in his current job. That is the first thing that I wish the Leader of the Opposition. I have never observed, in the Leader of the Opposition’s demeanour, any suggestion that he has other than robust health. My argument with the Leader of the Opposition is not in relation to matters of individual physical fitness. I have no doubt about his physical fitness, any more than he should have any doubt about my physical fitness. My argument with the Leader of the Opposition is about his lack of credibility for the job he aspires to concerning matters quite unrelated to his health. I have never raised his health. I have never asked anybody to raise his health. I think it is a piece of contemptible smearing by the member for Jagajaga to raise this.

Everyone knows a question is not asked in this House without the authority of the leader. I regard this question as Kevin Rudd’s question. I do not regard this question as Jenny Macklin’s. This question was authored by the Leader of the Opposition. I know exactly what has happened. The Leader of the Opposition had a bad day at the office yesterday. They have decided that the retaliation is to spear my party.

Can I say very directly, through you, Mr Speaker, that there has been no engagement of private investigators. That is an absolute, contemptible falsehood. There has been no engagement of private investigators. At no stage has any conduct of any kind designed to smear the Leader of the Opposition on the basis of his lack of good health been encouraged, counselled, sought or in any way procured by me. I would reject any attempt to do so. I can beat the Leader of the Opposition without resorting to smears.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides of the chamber are not adding to the dignity of the House.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members are holding up their question time.