Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's previous answer, where he claimed that he did not request a copy of the former Speaker's diary when he sent a text to James Ashby in 2012 that read:

Can that be emailed James it is hard to read Mal.brough2@bigpond.com

If he was not asking for the diary, what on earth is the parliament to think that he was asking for?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind members on both sides that I will deal with interjections.

Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday: the same questions. I ask the shadow Attorney-General a question: have you been able to ascertain one skerrick of evidence at all—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The point of order is on relevance. This is a very specific question referring to—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The minister is 15 seconds into the answer.

Honourable members interjecting—

I warn members on both sides: do not interject. Do not interject while I am making a ruling.

Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Despite the best efforts of the opposition, they have not put one thing forward that was not already in the Federal Court and that has not already been dealt with by the Federal Court. I stand by all of my actions as being entirely appropriate and entirely honest.