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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Clause 23 of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Handbook states:

Members of the Cabinet must publicly support all Government decisions made in the Cabinet, even if they do not agree with them.

Has the Prime Minister disciplined the three cabinet ministers who took the unprecedented disloyal step of failing to vote for the cabinet position? Isn't it clear this Prime Minister is so weak, his government is so divided, he cannot even keep his cabinet in line?

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

I cannot claim to be an authority on the practices of the Senate, but my understanding—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

Members on my left! The member for Lindsay is warned.

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

is that, when there is a vote that has the support of both the government and the opposition, the coalition and the Labor Party, it is referred to as a 'mickey', and that is a vote which—because it is going to be carried by such an overwhelming majority—frontbenchers, and indeed other members, regularly do not attend. So I can note that, on this particular vote, the shadow special minister of state, the Labor senator Senator Farrell, did not attend; Senator Carr did not attend; indeed, the Labor Party's chief whip, Senator Urquhart, did not attend. That is, apparently, the practice in the Senate.

Mr Shorten interjecting —

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

The Leader of the Opposition knows the rules on props.

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

That is the advice I can give the House as to practices in the other place.