Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I ask the Prime Minister: is the Prime Minister aware that the publisher of the former Prime Minister's book has said, 'I expect Tony to make the case for the Liberal Party to return to its conservative roots,' about his new book? Isn't it now clear that, no matter how many concessions the Prime Minister makes to the extreme Right of his party, it will always be followed by new policy demands? Why does the policy of this government always reflect the demands of the Liberal Party's extreme Right?

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

Before I call the Prime Minister, I inform the House that I clearly ruled the previous question out of order. The final part of the member for Sydney's question is just in order, but I caution those asking questions that I will in future rule out of order questions that are a substantial proportion out of order just with a tag at the end. I call the Prime Minister.

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

What does it say about the opposition that, when we have great matters of financial management, when we have had a ministerial statement and a bitter and virulent reply on infrastructure today, and when we have had a ministerial statement on national security and another bitter and inflammatory reply from the opposition leader, the opposition does not have the courage to ask one question on either matter? Instead, what we get are these childish, undergraduate questions about trying to play political games. Let me say to you, Mr Speaker: the big risk we have in this House now—

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

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

The member for Gorton will cease interjecting—that is it.

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

is the risk of the opposition and the recklessness and complete disregard for the truth of the Leader of the Opposition. We saw yesterday the way he deliberately and recklessly misrepresented the remarks of the minister for immigration. He deliberately misrepresented them, and he did so in order to inflame unrest, animosity and racial hatred. The Leader of the Opposition's recklessness yesterday was extraordinary. This is what he said. He said that extremists—

Government members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the House and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

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

On direct relevance—the question is about a different member of the extreme Right. You've got the wrong member of that faction!

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat!

Mr Morrison interjecting—

The Treasurer will cease interjecting. Can I just say—I have spoken about the preamble—that, given the breadth of the preamble, I cannot think of a possible way that the Prime Minister could not be relevant to that broad question. I will think about it for the rest of question time, if you like.

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

This opposition leader is so incapable of telling the truth, so reckless about it, that he accused the immigration minister of saying things where in fact he said the complete reverse. He accused him of amplifying the proposition that being a Muslim citizen of this country is incompatible with their faith. He said he sought to blame entire communities for the action of a tiny minority. And yet what did the immigration minister say? He said:

I am not going to allow people who … have done the right thing by this country, … who have worked hard … to be defined by those … who are doing the wrong thing …

And then he said:

I am not going to allow the rest of the community … to be defined by those small elements who are besmirching the vast majority …

The opposition leader accused the immigration minister of saying the complete reverse of what he said.

And today, in his infrastructure statement, there were more falsehoods, more reckless untruths. He claimed that the government had to rush in with a loan for the NBN. You know something? That has been part of the plan forever. It was part of Labor's plan. It was part of our plan. The cap was only on the equity. Does he not understand the difference between debt and equity? Is he a fool or a knave, Mr Speaker? I think he is both. (Time expired)

Mr Morrison interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will cease interjecting.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

The member for Isaacs is warned.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

No, you were not warned for turning around; you were warned for interjecting continuously—in a way that threatens the hearing of the Manager of Opposition Business, I have to say.