House debates Questions without Notice
Honours and Awards
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:40 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why does the government have a plan to bring back knights and dames, but no plan for Australian jobs? Prime Minister, why is the Abbott government's priority a plan to bring back knighthoods?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Well, Madam Speaker, this is—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition's question was listened to in silence by those on my left. You will listen similarly to the answer. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
This is a government which is capable of doing several things at the same time. But our priority is lifting the burdens on Australian families, and last week we tried to scrap the carbon tax, and Labor made the carbon tax stay. Yesterday we tried to scrap the mining tax, and Labor made the mining tax stay. We are trying to clean up the building and construction industry; Labor is trying to stop that. We are trying to get rid of union rorts, rackets and rip-offs, and corruption of the sort that the former member for Dobell was engaged in; Labor is still protecting that kind of wrongdoing. These are our priorities; I am proud of them.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If there was ever a breach of standing order 104(a), it is what we just heard.