Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the new allegations about the misuse of union funds contained in the press on Friday and today, will she require the member for Dobell to make a personal explanation to the House to substantiate his claims that all these matters have been misrepresented? Does the Prime Minister still have full confidence in the member for Dobell? While I am on the subject, will any of the retrenched workers at BlueScope Steel receive a $90,000 gift from the New South Wales ALP?

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

Order! Even by my generosity, the last part of the question is out of order and is ruled out of order, but up until then the Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Questions of personal explanations are for the individual parliamentarians involved. No. 2: yes, I do have full confidence in the member for Dobell. No. 3: the situation continues to be as it has been for some time. Fair Work Australia has an investigation in train, and we should await the outcomes of that investigation. I also think the standards that are asked to be applied to one side of the parliament should be applied to both sides of the parliament. Whilst I am on my feet, I say to the opposition that I cannot believe that they would seek to draw into their grubby politics the question of 1,000 workers losing their jobs.