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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has claimed his office's only involvement in the corrupt sports rorts scheme was to pass along information. So why has the Audit Office told the Senate today that there were 136 emails about sports rorts going back and forth between the Prime Minister's office and Senator McKenzie's office in under six months?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Neither I nor my office were the decision-makers in the process that governs the sports grants program. The decision-maker was, as has been rightly identified through the Audit Office processes and other reviews, the former sports minister. As I actually stated at the National Press Club when asked about these matters, what prime ministers have always done is support their colleagues, because—

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

The member for Gorton is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I trust the judgement of my colleagues about knowing what's best for their communities. I know that the member for Petrie knows what's best for his community. I know that the member for Boothby knows what's best for her community and that the member for Lindsay knows what's best for her community. And I listen closely to our communities right across the country—

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

The member for Lyons is warned. The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition on point of order.

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

The point of order goes to relevance. It was a very clear question about the 136 emails. It wasn't about—

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

I will just ask the Leader of the Opposition to resume his seat. As you know, I listen very carefully to the questions. I believe the Prime Minister's completely in order because of the preamble that said 'claims his office was only involved in' et cetera. The Prime Minister, essentially, reiterated that at the start of the answer and is now elaborating on that very point.

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

On the point of order, Mr Speaker, the first part of the question did go to his office's and the Prime Minister's claim he was passing on information. As for the members, the member for Lindsay wasn't elected at the time! That's one of the members who has just been mentioned, and that's why this—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The Leader of the House on a point of order.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition said something that he knows needs to be withdrawn.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rubbish!

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

The member for Isaacs will leave under standing order 94(a). The Manager of Opposition Business is seeking the call.

Government members interjecting—

Members on my right! The Manager of Opposition Business is entitled to seek the call without the member for Isaacs bellowing between us. If anyone is sympathetic, they're welcome to follow him—it's voluntary, you know.

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

Speaker, I refer to the various precedents where there is a difference between allegations that are made personally against a member and a description of a scheme or of government behaviour.

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

I'll just say I heard the Leader of the Opposition very clearly. He essentially reiterated the point he'd made in his question about the scheme. I've studied that very carefully, because he's gone very close to the line—leaned over it, almost, a couple of times—but not crossed it, in some of the motions. But I'm saying to the Leader of the Opposition that he made the point himself about what the first part of the question said. If he doesn't want the Prime Minister to address that, he shouldn't have had it in the question. But it doesn't mean that you can stand up on points of order and start trying to correct what you see as factual matters. You can do that in other forms of the House. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I'm happy to take the Leader of the Opposition's interjection, because what I know about the member for Lindsay—even if she wasn't in this place—is she knew what was right for her community. And guess what, Mr Speaker?

Opposition members interjecting—

The people of Lindsay agree with me, because they elected the member for Lindsay because the member for Lindsay knows what's best for her community. Now the Leader of the Opposition may think you're not allowed to consult with communities—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He may think that those who are outside of this place have no knowledge of what's right for their communities. But on our side we understand that people who have a deep understanding of their community are in a very good position to advocate. So whether we're members or anyone else, our office made representations, as did I, on what was in the best interests of those programs and in the best interests of those communities, but we were not the decision-maker. As I said at the National Press Club, my office provided information based on the representations made to us, including information about other funding options or programs relevant to project proposals. But I can tell you what smells about Leader of the Opposition. What smells about the Leader of the Opposition is he—

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

I'm going to say to the Prime Minister, even though this question had a preamble, it didn't go to any alternative policies. Ministers who've been asked about alternative policies today have been at pains to point out that they've been asked about alternatives. This is not an opportunity to go beyond the subject matter that was in the question.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So I've set out the role that my office played. All I know is that, when the Leader of the Opposition was a minister, he threw the rulebook away and knowingly funded ineligible projects. Do you want to talk about corruption?