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

My question is to the Prime Minister. In light of the Prime Minister's refusal to endorse the coalition government's handling of Bob Day's electoral office in 2014, has the Prime Minister made any inquiries as to whether Senator Ronaldson advised the finance minister or the then Prime Minister that Senator Ronaldson was rejecting the department's advice in order to assist Bob Day?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his interest in the qualification of senators. I would just remind him that in the Minister for Finance's speech to the Senate earlier today he sets out in some detail the arrangements that Senator Ronaldson, as the then Special Minister of State, entered into with Senator Day, including on the express basis that Senator Day no longer had an interest in the property, that there would be no net cost to the Commonwealth and so forth. All of that is set out in the finance minister's speech, and further detail is set out in the Special Minister of State's speech in the Senate today.

Dealing with qualifications of senators, a matter more immediate and relevant is the qualifications of Senator Kimberley Kitching, personally nominated by the leader of the opposition—hand-picked.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. Members on my right—the member for Mitchell.

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. It is on direct relevance. The question did not have a preamble. The question not—

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

The Leader of the House will cease interjecting.

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

There are a series of rulings you have made where a question has used particular language and then the gates are wide open. This question was very specific, very tight, and, on that basis, where the Prime Minister has now gone is clearly beyond the direct relevance rule.

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

I have been listening very closely to the Prime Minister, and I respect what the Manager of Opposition Business said. I do have to say I was on the verge of ruling the question out of order—I really was—because it is asking the Prime Minister about a previous government. But, in the interests of allowing free-flowing debate, I allowed the question. I could have taken a stricter ruling at the time; I deliberately decided not to. The Prime Minister is addressing the substance of the question. I will keep listening to the Prime Minister. But certainly, from the subject matter of the Leader of the Opposition's question, at this point I am ruling that the Prime Minister is still in order.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So the Leader of the Opposition asked me what inquiries I have made. The real question today, given Senator Kitching has been sworn in in the other place, is: what inquiries has the Leader of the Opposition made? Has he inquired whether in fact the Director of Public Prosecutions is going to act on the reference to it by the Heydon royal commission that referred papers and an interim report to the DPP to consider whether Kimberley Kitching should be charged with and prosecuted for aiding and abetting the contraventions of each of Diana Asmar, David Eden, Darren Rowe, Nick Katsis, Saso Trajcevski-Uzunov and Lee Atkinson? Has he made an inquiry about the finding by Fair Work Commission vice-president Watson that she had been untruthful and unreliable in her evidence, that she had completed other people's tests? Has he inquired about those matters? Because that is in the here and now. Senator Kitching has been sworn in today. What assurance can the Leader of the Opposition give us that, with those allegations made, those concerns raised, that evidence given concerning now-senator Kitching—his hand-picked senator—he has inquired into and been satisfied that all of those findings are utterly without basis?