Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion of censure against the Minister for Agriculture.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would allow the member for Watson to move the following resolution forthwith:

That this House censures the Minister for Agriculture for:

(1) the misleading the House on Monday 20 October; and

(2) attempting to improperly alter the official Hansard record in order to cover up this misleading of the House.

Madam Speaker, leave should have been granted for this resolution. Of all the issues where leave is ordinarily granted, it is on a censure. And of all the reasons for censure, there is nothing that carries greater gravity than the misleading of this House. Be in no doubt, Madam Speaker, we need to be able to suspend standing orders when we have a minister who, on the Monday, misleads the House and that afternoon—or whenever he did it—tries to cover up the official Hansard record. This never would have come to light and this would never have happened were it not for the fact that the shadow minister for agriculture, the member for Hunter, drew to the attention of the parliament on Wednesday that the Minister for Agriculture still had not turned up to give accurate information to this House.

There is nothing that the parliament deals with that is more serious than ministerial accountability. And there will be times when members of the frontbench make an error. They will come in here and they will swallow their pride—and it is not a lot of fun for them; we have done it and I have had to do it. You walk into the chamber and you explain that you got a detail wrong.

But I do not recall the circumstance when not only have they—

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

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has been a cover-up, and the real victims are the tens of thousands of suffering—

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

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I now put the original question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable member.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have got to state the question first.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. The question is that the original motion be agreed to.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was putting the question that the original question be agreed to. You have not got the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, I am seeking the call.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, you are not getting it. That motion has been—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am entitled to get the call.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have called for it to be called.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am entitled to seek the call and get the call, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes; I am afraid you are. I thought the 25 minutes was up.

An honourable member interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was on my feet first, Madam Speaker. Recognise me.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did recognise the member for Grayndler first.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Madam Speaker.

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

You've had your bit. I move:

That the question be now put.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion be put.

The question now is that the motion be agreed to.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.