House debates Questions without Notice
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:28 pm
My question is again addressed to the Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous answers, where he said that he will contact the New South Wales Police about Strike Force Garrad, regarding the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Will he assure the police and this House that the minister for emissions reduction will do what he hasn't done for this parliament and state exactly what the origins of this doctored document about the City of Sydney mayor were?
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The only reference I could make to the Leader of the Opposition's investigative capacity would be as Inspector Clouseau.
Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General
Answer the question.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I'm going to leave the matters of pursuing these issues to the New South Wales Police. I will speak directly to the New South Wales Police, I will consider the information they provide me about this matter and I will exercise my responsibilities under the standards once I have had the opportunity to have those discussions. What I won't do is engage in the breathlessness of the Leader of the Opposition. I won't engage in that. I calmly consider my responsibilities. I soberly consider serious matters. I don't rush to the judgement of the Leader of the Opposition. And I know why this is happening today, because in the other place we are dealing with the ensuring integrity bill. That's the bill they're dealing with over there, and the militant unionism that this mob over here want to engage in a protection racket.
I was wondering what the collective noun was for a group of militant unionists. I think it's called a thuggery of unionists. It's that thuggery that this Leader of the Opposition wants to protect by not supporting the government's bill to ensure that union thugs—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
This is a smokescreen, and he's running a protection racket for union thugs.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I would ask that the Prime Minister's last statement, where he made a very specific allegation against me, be withdrawn.
Tony Smith Speaker
I might have heard it slightly differently. If I didn't hear it correctly, I apologise. I don't want to put the Leader of the Opposition in a position where he has to repeat the remark. What I heard was something that's outlined in Practice pretty clearly, which was something fairly general.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
No, it was pointed at me.
Tony Smith Speaker
I can only go on what's said. I can't get into hand gestures and all the rest. The Leader of the Opposition?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I'd invite you to ask the Prime Minister to do the right thing and show integrity and withdraw it.
Tony Smith Speaker
All I can do in this circumstance is say to a minister or a Prime Minister if they made an unparliamentary remark to withdraw it. As I said, if I'd heard that I would have acted straightaway. I thought it was a general observation that's covered in Practice.