House debates Questions without Notice

Workplace Relations

Tuesday, 28 March 2017 House of Representatives

Bill Shorten

Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

2:51 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the people who put their lives on the line in your own protection detail and that of your ministers deserve an answer. Does the Prime Minister rule out pay cuts for AFP officers, including his own protection detail, for working late nights and weekends?

Mr Champion interjecting—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Wakefield will not interject.

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

I thank the member for his question. As the honourable member is presumably well aware, there are negotiations ongoing between the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and the members of the Federal Police and their representatives, and that is being handled at arm's length by the commissioner in the normal way, in the appropriate way. Our commitment to the Federal Police, to all of our security agencies, is utterly unprecedented. They keep us all safe and we thank them for their service. We support them. We defend them, as they defend us.