House debates Motions
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Attorney-General and Prime Minister; Attempted Censure
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
11:59 am
I seek leave to move a motion of censure against the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General and the Prime Minister.
Leave not granted.
I move:
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Isaacs from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House censures, firstly, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Attorney-General
(a) for misleading the parliament over serious and legitimate questions relating to the national security and the safety of Australia;
(b) for breaching the Prime Minister's own statement of ministerial standards by:
(1) failing to correct the record in the parliament at the earliest opportunity in relation to matters of national security;
(2) failing to be honest in their conduct of public office; and
(3) failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the public or the parliament is not misled.
And, secondly, the Prime Minister:
(a) for allowing his ministers to mislead the parliament over serious and legitimate questions relating to national security and the safety of Australia; and
(b) for allowing his ministers to breach his own statement of ministerial standards.
Time and again, this government has shown itself—
Bob Baldwin Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Does he need to seek leave?
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
No, he did at the start.
Honourable members interjecting—
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Time and again, this government has shown itself to be addicted to cover-up and secrecy. More importantly for the Australian people, the coalition has shown itself more concerned about talking tough on national security at a press conference than running a competent government. The way in which it has handled this—
Bob Baldwin Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for Paterson has been here long enough to know that divisions do not happen automatically. You have to ask for them, and if you do not ask for the division then with the fact that there were more people calling no than there were calling aye, it is not surprising that the call was made that the member be allowed to continue.
Bob Baldwin Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
Mr Deputy Speaker, I did call for a division. Perhaps if the noise opposite were not so loud you may have been able to hear it.
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
I could hear quite clearly, thank you. There was no division called for.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
The way in which this government has handled the discovery that the Lindt Cafe—
Bob Baldwin Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
I move:
That the member be no longer heard.
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
The question is that the member no longer be heard.
Is the motion seconded?
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
12:14 pm
I second the motion. This government is addicted to chaos and cover-up. Chaos and cover-up is what we see and it is why this issue is before the House.
Alan Tudge Aston, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
I move:
That the member no longer be heard.
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
The question is that the member be no longer heard.
The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You just ruled that we could not have that the question be put and you put the motion. The government agreed with the suspension of standing orders. No-one is voting 'no' so therefore we should now proceed to the motion.
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
I will restate the question that the motion be agreed to.