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

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to ongoing concerns about asbestos entering the Australian construction industry through illegal imports. Has the minister had any discussions with her international counterparts about a treaty to combat the trafficking of asbestos? If so, has the minister taken any advice from her department about how to manage any conflicts of interest, noting her well-established advocacy for asbestos companies over the years?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very happy to take this, given that I lived opposite those folk whilst they put the pink batts program into action. They sat silent and did nothing whilst four young men lost their lives. They sat on their hands whilst we had inferior goods coming in from China. The opposition's history on this matter is a history of shame, of inaction and of disgrace. By contrast, when we heard about this, we immediately sought advice, we immediately sought action, and—

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

You sought to misrepresent everything.

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

The member for Isaacs is warned.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

you are the last person—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs has been warned.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

from your role in the Home Insulation Program, to show any form of piety or any sort of concern after the practised inaction while real things happened on your watch.

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

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. I can understand them not wanting to talk about the conflicts of interest on asbestos for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but that was the question.

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

Has the Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science concluded his question?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

The Leader of the House on a point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a disgraceful slur from the Manager of Opposition Business and he should withdraw it.

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

I did not hear the manager—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was said at the dispatch box.

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

The Leader of the House would appreciate that, even when things are said at the dispatch box, if there are loud interjections on both sides—and this is not a critical point I make of the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, but he was responding to some interjections as well. If the Manager of Opposition Business has said something unparliamentary, in the interests of the House, I would ask him to withdraw. I do not think the Leader of the House was referring to the question. He was referring to something you said as you finished your point of order.

Government members interjecting—

If members on my right wish for me to deal with this, they will cease interjecting; otherwise, we will have to move on.

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

I referred to the question being about conflicts of interest, which it was.

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

We will need to move onto the next question. Of course, it is open to any member, if they claim to have been misrepresented in any way, to seek the call at the end of question time or to use other forms of the House.