House debates

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Questions without Notice

Member for Dobell

2:48 pm

Photo of Ms Julie BishopMs Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the contact between her chief of staff, Ben Hubbard, and the then Commonwealth industrial registrar, Doug Williams, about the Fair Work Australia investigation into the member for Dobell, and the collusion between Fair Work Australia and the media advisor of the then minister for employment and workplace relations over media management of the investigation. On what basis can the Prime Minister claim there has been no interference by the government in the investigation into the member for Dobell?

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

To the Deputy Leader of the Opposition I say that question is misleading people in this parliament. She is raising allegations against others that she must know are not sustained by the facts. I do not believe it is an appropriate standard for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to come into this place and use a question to make allegations which she must know are contrary to the facts.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting

In relation to Ben Hubbard, which she has raised—and if she stops yelling and starts listening then she might hear the facts—these are the facts. They are on the record from 13 May 2010 and fully available to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition if she wants facts rather than muckraking. The facts on the public record are: the industrial registrar telephoned my chief of staff, Ben Hubbard—not the other way around, as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition alleges.

Mr Abbott interjecting

The Leader of the Opposition is yelling, 'And then he rang back!' Heavens above, how pathetic!

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat.

Photo of Ms Julie BishopMs Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister alleges that I said that Ben Hubbard called the industrial registrar. I did not. I referred to the contact between the chief of staff—

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat immediately.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting

Order! If the member for Curtin was not the Deputy Leader of the Opposition she would have joined the member for Longman. I extend a little bit more benevolence to the senior members on both sides of the House. The Prime Minister was responding on how a certain contact occurred, and the Prime Minister has the call.

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The deputy leader's question was full of allegations and imputations. They are unworthy of her and unworthy of this place. The facts are on the record from 13 May last year showing the industrial registrar initiating contact and the nature of the contact. I invite people to look at the facts, not to listen to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition's question, which has been brought to this place to mislead people. I then invite them to look at the facts which are on the public record from 19 October 2011 regarding contact between a media advisor in Senator Evans's office and Fair Work Australia. The facts are there for all to see. It is apparent that the kind of terminology used by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is uncalled for and unwarranted. This muckraking by the opposition brings it little credit and does it no good. Ultimately working families in this country want to know whether you stand for something: whether you stand for them, whether you stand for their interests, whether you stand for a strong economy, whether you worry about their jobs, and whether you worry about the government's finances. The opposition is incapable of doing that. They just want to shovel money at some of their rich mates and all of this is a cover-up of those intentions.

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will become directly relevant.

Opposition members interjecting

The Chief Government Whip will resume his seat. I will listen to the supplementary question. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

2:54 pm

Photo of Ms Julie BishopMs Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Prime Minister, if it is proven that your office made contact with Fair Work Australia over the Craig Thomson investigation, like Tony Hodges's involvement in the Australia Day riot, will you demand their immediate resignation?

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is very disorderly to allow questions which are completely hypothetical, which begin 'If it is proven'. That is hypothetical. The standing orders are there for that reason and it should be ruled out of order, particularly on the basis that it is still a supplementary question.

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

As the occupant of the chair, it is my role to determine whether a question is hypothetical in accordance with the standing orders. I invite the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to repeat her proposed supplementary question and I will consider it as a supplementary question. I would like the deputy leader to be heard in silence.

Photo of Ms Julie BishopMs Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. If it is proven that the Prime Minister's office made contact with Fair Work Australia over the Craig Thomson investigation, like Tony Hodges's involvement in the Australia Day riot, will the Prime Minister demand their immediate resignation?

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I will always take the appropriate action in relation to standards in my office. If the Leader of the Opposition was to take appropriate action in relation to standards in the opposition, the deputy leader would not have her position by the end of question time today.

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | | Hansard source

When you are under pressure it comes out.

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Opposition members interjecting

The member for Dickson, I am sure, does not want to add to his list of ejections from the chamber. Now that the House is quiet I will invite the Prime Minister to withdraw that reflection on the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I am happy to withdraw that reflection provided that all reflections on the government from the opposition are promptly withdrawn as well. Mr Speaker, what you are probably not able to hear from time to time—so this is not a reflection on you—is the nature of the reflections that come from the opposition. I invite you to do the best you can to listen to what comes forward and ask for withdrawals as promptly as well.

Photo of Peter SlipperPeter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is quite right insofar as there is often a lot of conversation across the table from the front benches, much of it inappropriate, and I want it to cease.