House debates Questions without Notice
Members of Parliament: Staff
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:31 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why, nine days after Mr Gaetjens told the Prime Minister he was putting his inquiry on hold, did the Prime Minister tell the House about the inquiry 'Those inquiries are being made,' 'This work is being done by the secretary of my department, and 'He has not provided me with a further update,' when, in fact, inquiries were not being made, the work was not being done and Mr Gaetjens had provided an update? Why did the Prime Minister mislead the House?
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:32 pm
I have not. The Leader of the Opposition says 'end quote'. But it wasn't the end of the quote, was it? Because I said 'He has not provided me with a further update about when I might expect that report'—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
and he did not give me a date or a time when that report would be provided. And, as I responded to a question on this in my media conference this morning, the secretary was continuing to conduct interviews. So what the Leader of the Opposition has brought into this place, in a desperate attempt to smear, is not true. This Leader of the Opposition seeks to only smear, when, in a time like this, he should be seeking to engage in productive effort.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I ask that it be withdrawn.
Tony Smith Speaker
The interjections were so loud. I don't want you to repeat what it was, but when you weren't interjecting many others behind you were.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, it was a very straight question. I quoted what the Prime Minister said, and the gap between that and what's actually happened, and he responds with abuse.
Honourable members interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
Members on both sides!
Ms Kearney interjecting—
The member for Cooper will cease interjecting! If unparliamentary remarks are made—I've mentioned this before—and there's a wall of interjections, it's very difficult for me to make a judgement on that. What I'm judging, from the Leader of the Opposition, is that he didn't like the way the Prime Minister was answering the question. But if members want me to be able to rule on these matters they need to cease interjecting. It's a timely point now, at halfway through question time, that I will issue a general warning. I call the member for North Sydney.