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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today, the member for Warringah warned Australians to vote no in the plebiscite, for reasons unrelated to marriage equality, claiming:

If you're worried about religious freedom and freedom of speech, vote no, and if you don't like political correctness, vote no …

Last night, when asked about marriage equality, Bronwyn Bishop referred to polygamy, bestiality and the killing of children. How can the Prime Minister guarantee there will be respectful discussion, sticking to the issues, when his own Liberal colleagues behave like this?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides will cease interjecting.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

The member for Eden-Monaro will leave under 94(a).

The member for Eden-Monaro then left the chamber.

The member for Barker and the member for Hume are warned. The member for Gellibrand is warned. Members on both sides should pick up the cue here. 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

The Prime Minister was asked about the comments of individual members, even those who are no longer in the House. They are hardly within his areas of responsibility and, as a consequence, he should not be—

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Lindsay is warned. I am not going to listen to points of order and be interjected over by members anywhere in the chamber, on either side. I am making that very clear. If members are warned and ejected, as I have said, it is their choice. I am not going to keep repeating this through question time. It is ridiculous. The Leader of the House will repeat his point of order.

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

The Prime Minister was asked a question about statements of members on the backbench in the House and even statements about former members of the parliament. Neither of these is within his area of responsibility as Prime Minister, and therefore he should not be required to answer that question.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I listened to the question very carefully. The preamble to the question referred to a member of this House and a former member of this House. The question itself was more general, and I am going to rule it in order. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I have great confidence in the good sense of the Australian people. Are we seriously at the point where the Labor Party has so little confidence in Australians that they would shut down a right to vote because people have said things they find outrageous or unacceptable, or that are regarded as unacceptable by the vast majority of Australians?

In any debate there will be statements made which are offensive, which many will regard as extreme, which many will regard as wrong. In this debate I will be encouraging Australians to vote yes. Others will encourage them to vote no. I urge every participant in the debate to act with responsibility and with respect for those on the other side. How they act is a matter for them; and they will be judged by Australians, as will their arguments.

If we are seriously at the point where the Labor Party is saying you cannot have a vote on this issue in particular because people will say outrageous things then how could we have a referendum on any of the issues that have been discussed? How could you have a parliamentary election? 'You can't have a parliamentary election,' they'll be saying next, 'because who knows? Some candidate will say something outrageous or someone will say something outrageous, unfair, cruel and wrong about a candidate.' Australians can see through all of that.

The Labor Party is disrespecting and underestimating the wisdom of the Australian people. We put our faith in them. We will give every Australian a say on this issue as we promised them in the election. The Labor Party could have voted today to enable a compulsory attendance ballot. They have refused to do that because they don't trust the Australian people. We will give everyone a vote.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney is warned.