House debates Questions without Notice
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:29 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. On the night before the election the Prime Minister promised that there would be no cuts to the ABC. We now know that that is not true: Morwell's regional radio post shut, the Bush Telegraph silenced, the Victorian edition of 7.30 cut. How many Victorians will lose their jobs because of the Prime Minister's broken promise?
Ms Butler interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Madam Speaker, how can the Leader of the Opposition be complaining when he supports the cuts? He supports cuts. He was asked yesterday: would you reverse the cuts if you took office? And he said, 'We do not think the cuts need to be as deep as they are.'
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam speaker, I rise on a point of order: direct relevance. In this question time, under direct relevance, the Prime Minister has been allowed to throw any abuse he wants at the questioner.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat. On the question of abuse, there is more than enough of it in this chamber today. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Leader of the Opposition just said across the table, 'You will find out where our cuts are when we come to government.' That is exactly what he said. What incredible arrogance. He was asked yesterday: would you reverse the cuts if you took office?
Ms King interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
And he said, 'We do not think the cuts need to be as deep as they are.' So why is it that this Leader of the Opposition supports cuts but will not tell us what they should be?
Mr Shorten interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition does not give instructions in this chamber, I do. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This Prime Minister is now lying about lying.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw.
Mr Pyne interjecting—
The Leader of the House did not have the call.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
Madam Speaker, I am happy for the opposition to withdraw but the Prime Minister simply repeated what the Leader of the Opposition said, which was that we will find out when they come to government. What he said about the cuts that Labor would make was that we would find out when they come to government. He has slipped up, he should be man enough to admit it and he should withdraw the allegation he made against the Prime Minister.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition has the call and will withdraw what he said.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I withdraw.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Leader of the Opposition supports cuts because that is what he said to ABC radio but he will not tell us what they are.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
So what is going on here? The truth is that the Leader of the Opposition is simply untrustworthy. As his former colleague Craig Emerson said—
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would again ask you to enforce the standing orders. Under standing order 91(c) we have wilful disregard by the Prime Minister of the standing orders, who has not attempted relevance this question time.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
That is not correct. The member will resume his seat. We have already had a point on relevance. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Craig Emerson, the former member for Rankin, talking about the Leader of the Opposition—I am quoting from Paul Kelly's book—said he was telling both camps what they wanted to hear. Kelly went on to say:
The distrust between Rudd and Shorten was intense and enduring.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I just asked: how many Victorians are going to lose their jobs?
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member will resume his seat.
Government members interjecting—
I will have silence on my right including from the member for Corangamite. The Prime Minister has the call and we will have silence to hear the answer.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
All through question time today and yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition has been talking about trust—
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Answer the question.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Isaacs will leave under standing order 94(a).
The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am talking about trust and this is what Paul Kelly said about the Leader of the Opposition: the distrust between Rudd and Shorten was intense and enduring. The Gillard camp was contemptuous of Shorten—
Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Gorton will join the member for Isaacs.
The member for Gorton then left the chamber.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
considering him weak and duplicitous. Neither side trusted him and neither side revised his view. Well if Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard could not trust bill Shorten, neither can the Australian people.