Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:25 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that a debt guarantee for Qantas was under active consideration by the government as late as yesterday?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:26 pm
They asked for it; we thought about it; and we rejected it.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
They asked for it; we thought about it; and we rejected it.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Order on my left! If anybody is anxious to join the member for Moreton, they will interject further.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Let me, if I may, outline for the Leader of the Opposition's benefit what his position has done. His refusal to contemplate taking the shackles off Qantas means that Virgin is in a stronger position than Qantas. As I said, I am all in favour of doing the right thing by Virgin, but let's do the right thing by Qantas too. Let's do the right thing by Qantas too.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
On a point of order—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
The point of order is under standing order 86. When a point of order is taken, we are meant to get the call and the person speaking is meant to be seated. This week, in particular, you have repeatedly allowed ministers and the Prime Minister to complete their answers before hearing a point of order relevant to exactly what they are saying.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order, and I might point out that if you are clairvoyant and think you can predict when an answer is completed then you are enormously clever.