Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to reports that the Treasurer's colleagues are saying that his job could be on the line if he does not succeed with this year's budget—with one frontbench colleague saying: 'He'll need to perform or he's out.' Is that why the Treasurer is so desperate to pass his $50 billion handout to big business, instead of protecting the penalty rates of ordinary Australians?

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

I have not called the Treasurer. I made the point with fair warning last week that it was not sufficient to ask a question—in this case, I believe, to deliberately ask a question—that is mostly out of order and then at the very end of the question seek to maintain the whole question is in order. In this case, when I rule out the pieces that are out of order, there is nothing to ask the Treasurer. Let me put it in more simple language: you cannot come along with a Holden badge and stick it on a Mazda and say it is a Holden. The question is out of order.

Honourable members interjecting—

Let me remind members interjecting on me that it is particularly serious.