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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with his finance minister that the Home Insulation Program, which has contributed to the deaths of four Australians, was a program where the government could not be expected to dot the i’s and cross the t’s?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is not in order for the Leader of the Opposition to verbal the finance minister in a question. Therefore the premise of the question is incorrect and therefore the question is out of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The chair is not in a position to vouch for the accuracy of quotes contained within questions. On all occasions, these matters are left in the hands of the person that is asking the question, and the remedial action open to any aggrieved party is well known by members of the House.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear! Well said!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The second Thursday is not the time to make the comment, ‘I now will review what I just said,’ but!

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I have not seen the remarks by the finance minister to which he refers. I am just responding to the question which has been asked by the Leader of the Opposition. The sequence of any such decision as taken by this government is (1) to obtain the policy design for a program (2) to finance it as appropriate and (3) to adhere to the administrative protocols and arrangements which go with the decision. I also draw the Leader of the Opposition’s attention to the statement made to the House by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts concerning those implementation arrangements, and I would encourage the Leader of the Opposition to study the minister’s statement very carefully.