House debates Questions to the Speaker
National Security
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! Could we have some order! The member for Kooyong, could you please start again.
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table a document. During question time, the Prime Minister said she rejected any suggestion that the ASIO budget had been cut—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! The member for Kooyong will resume his seat. The Leader of the House?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
No.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Does the member for Kooyong have other issues he wishes to raise? The document has already been—
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party
The Manager of Government Business does not know which document I am referring to. I am referring to the ASIO submission—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The member for Kooyong will resume his seat. Leave has not been granted. The member for Dickson was seeking to make a personal explanation.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, if I may respectfully submit to you: it is very difficult for the government to give or deny leave until the member has had a chance to state exactly what the document is. With respect, he should have been allowed to state what the document is and then the Leader of the House would have the opportunity to say whether leave was given or not.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Dickson has the call.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Whether a document is tabled or not is within the decision of the government. The government has not granted leave.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I am reluctant to detain the House on this matter—
Government members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
but there is more than one document in the world and there may well be more than one document that the member for Kooyong has sought to table. I respectfully put it to you, Madam Speaker, that it is simply contrary to all traditions in this House for leave to be denied before the document is identified. The member for Kooyong should be given the opportunity to identify the document that he wished to have tabled and then the government has the chance to give or to deny leave.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If it helps the House, the member identified the document during question time. And what is absolutely certain is that when this mob get on a track they do not go off it!
Opposition members interjecting—
He identified it—
Ms O'Dwyer interjecting—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! The member for Higgins will leave the chamber under 94(a).
The member for Higgins then left the chamber.
I have given every indication that this behaviour is unacceptable! The member for Kooyong: are there any other documents you are seeking to table?
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party
Yes, there are, Madam Speaker. I would like to table the ASIO submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, document No. 11 2011-12, which states at page 9 that revenue from the government—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
No! Order! Member for Kooyong: are there any other documents besides this one?
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party
That is the document I would like to table.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The member for Kooyong will resume his seat. I asked if there were further documents.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
And it is the same one, and the answer is 'no'!
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
You could have thought of a new one!
A government member: It's an embarrassment—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! The embarrassment today is on all sides! The complete lack of any decorum shown during this question time again heightens the public's concern about how this parliament is progressing. The member for Dickson has the call.