Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister said the government's broken promises and unfair budget were just a matter of 'atmospherics'. When will the Prime Minister accept that it is his $100,000 university degrees, not the atmospherics, that Australians have fundamentally rejected?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: is it in order for the Leader of the Opposition to misquote the Prime Minister in a question and then demand an answer to a misquote? Surely he should be required to quote the Prime Minister accurately and not make assertions based on a misquote the Prime Minister never made.

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

I think the proper way to deal with it is through a personal explanation at the end of question time. But I do not think is a good idea that the basis for a question is a quote without being able to substantiate it. I will check the standing orders, but I suspect that standing order 100 has something to say about it. The standing orders say facts and names of people, unless they can be authenticated and are strictly necessary, are not in order. The Leader of the Opposition should take that into account.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, do you want me to authenticate the quote?

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

Yes.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am quoting from a transcript of a 46-minute session the Prime Minister had with the press gallery dated 1 December 2014. The Prime Minister said:

I'm not for a second suggesting that last week was a great week when it came to the atmospherics—

and further on—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

We are now getting into the realm of argument, and that also is not within the standing orders.

Opposition members interjecting—

There will be silence on my left! If the Prime Minister feels that he knows what the content of the question is then he can have the call to answer it.

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

Madam Speaker, I am used to being verballed by the Leader of the Opposition. I think it is pretty clear what he is on about. He is claiming that there is something fundamentally wrong with the government's proposals for higher education. As I have done before in this House, let me quote Labor's shadow Assistant Treasurer—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

And I am exactly quoting Labor's shadow Assistant Treasurer; I am not reading anything into it; I am not paraphrasing him, I am not making this up. I am quoting from someone called Andrew Leigh, who had this to say in his book Ideas for the Future:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Fraser will remove his prop and hand it to the attendant—now!

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

In his book Ideas for the Future, Labor's shadow Assistant Treasurer said: 'Australian universities should be free to set student fees according to the market value of their degrees. Universities will have a strong incentive to compete on price and quality. Much-needed additional funding will be available to universities that capitalise on their strengths and develop compelling educational offerings. The result will be a better funded, more dynamic and competitive education sector.' Professor Ian Young, chair of the Group of Eight universities and Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, in an address to the National Press Club just a couple of months ago, said of the government's policy: 'Deregulation is a game-changer and a building block to making our universities brilliant. On behalf of the Group of Eight, I urge senators to give universities the freedom to be brilliant. Change has to happen.' I refer Professor Young's comments to the Leader of the Opposition.