House debates Motions

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry

Thursday, 4 February 2021 House of Representatives

Jim Chalmers

Jim Chalmers Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer

11:23 am

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes:

  (a) today marks two years since the release of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry's final report,

  (b) this Prime Minister voted against that royal commission 26 times,

  (c) two years after its final report only 27 of the royal commission's 76 recommendations have been implemented,

  (d) the government has even abandoned the very first recommendation the royal commission made to keep responsible lending laws in place,

  (e) this Prime Minister and this government have let down the victims of financial services misconduct; and

(2) calls on the Prime Minister to implement the recommendations of the royal commission.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Rankin from moving the following motion immediately:

That the House:

(1) notes:

  (a) today marks two years since the release of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry's final report,

  (b) this Prime Minister voted against that royal commission 26 times,

  (c) two years after its final report only 27 of the royal commission's 76 recommendations have been implemented,

  (d) the government has even abandoned the very first recommendation the royal commission made to keep responsible lending laws in place,

  (e) this Prime Minister and this government have let down the victims of financial services misconduct; and

(2) calls on the Prime Minister to implement the recommendations of the royal commission.

When it comes to rorts and rip-offs in the banking system those opposite are always on the side of the big banks.

Luke Howarth

Luke Howarth Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services

11:26 am

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the member for Rankin be no further heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

11:33 am

Is the motion seconded?

Stephen Jones

Stephen Jones Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer

The Liberals back the banks; Labor backs the people. You should stick to your election promise—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Whitlam will resume his seat. The Leader of the House.

Christian Porter

Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

A division having been called and the bells having been rung—

Mr Tony Burke

Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts

(In division) A point of order, Mr Speaker. Often if a member does not say they second a motion at the start of their speech, you have a chance to draw their attention and say, 'No, you need to say that.' Before you'd done that, the Leader of the House moved that the member be no further heard. That means that if this motion is carried, and it looks like it's going to be carried, the House still has to be invited for there to be a seconder for this motion, because that question has not yet been resolved.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The Manager of Opposition Business brought this to my attention as I—

Mr Hunt interjecting—

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

Member for Ballarat and the Minister for Health! The Manager of Opposition Business is right. The closure motion was moved quite quickly, and the member for Whitlam had not seconded the motion. In the past where I've felt that that was wilful, I've let the motion lapse. I don't believe it was wilful on this occasion. The question, really, is whether the division should be proceeded with. My view is that it shouldn't, and then we simply call the division off and I'll call for a seconder for the motion. So we'll call off the division.

Mr Burke interjecting—

Yes. If the division is called off, the member for Whitlam is still able to jump and second the motion. I hope he's been listening, because if they're not the first words that come out of his mouth, it's not going to end well. We'll call off the division, and I will ask whether the motion moved by the member for Rankin is seconded.

Stephen Jones

Stephen Jones Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer

11:37 am

I second the motion. Labor backs the people; Liberal backs the banks. We should implement the results of the—

Christian Porter

Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the member for Whitlam be no further heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

11:40 am

The question now is that the motion moved by the member for Rankin be disagreed to.

Richard Marles

Richard Marles Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition

11:41 am

Two years of ignoring the banking royal commission. All talk, no action—

Christian Porter

Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General

I move:

That the question be now put.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the question be now put.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

11:43 am

The question now is that the motion moved by the member for Rankin be disagreed to.