House debates

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

Questions without Notice

Prime Minister

2:32 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has misled this parliament on every one of the past four sitting days? Why does the Prime Minister have a problem with the truth?

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

The assertion put forward by the Leader of the Opposition is simply not correct. It's simply not correct. This opposition has shown themselves to be interested in only smearing people in this place and not engaging in the serious issues and the real issues that Australians want this place to focus on, and it's what our government is 100 per cent focused on. What the Leader of the Opposition has demonstrated during his time over the last six months in this role is that he has no interest in engaging in the critical issues and driving our economy forward. He has no interest in talking about jobs. He comes into this place with his tricky little stunts and his clever little lines, treating this parliament like some sort of second-rate, high school debating chamber, engaging in punctuation points and commas, and extolling his great virtues, apparently, as the great master of parliamentary procedure. If he wants to be Manager of Government Business again in the government, if that's the job he's seeking, on those sorts of pedantic points about parliamentary procedure he could engage himself on any day of the week, but, if he actually wants to be a prime minister, he's got to deal with the real issues.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.

Opposition members interjecting

Members on my left! Member for Barton, I fear we're about to lose you for an hour.