Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister's model of a national anticorruption commission have the power to investigate the energy minister's use of forged documents to attack the Lord Mayor of Sydney?

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House has the call.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the standing orders are very clear in relation to those sorts of baseless allegations, impugning a member of this House, and they are false allegations, unfounded, and it should be withdrawn.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it's been the case for quite some time that, if a minister wants to reject something within a question, they have the opportunity to do so in the answer. The question does not assert something as fact; it asks a question.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Standing order 100(d)(iv) talks about imputations, and certainly there's an imputation in that question. I am happy to give the questioner the opportunity to reword the question.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister's model of a national anticorruption commission have the power to investigate the use of forged documents to attack a lord mayor?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity to respond to the question asked by the member for Sydney. Our model will deal with allegations of serious criminal corruption at the Commonwealth level. That is what our model will do. It's a well-developed, serious, substantiated model, and if the opposition were serious about engaging in it—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cooper is warned.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

if the opposition were serious about tackling the risk and challenge of—

suspected serious criminal corruption at the Commonwealth level—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

they would engage seriously with this government on what we've put, on the full text, the 349 pages of legislation which have been out there for many months, rather than engage in a series of political stunts. One side of this House is genuine and serious minded about engaging on the issue of suspected Commonwealth criminal corruption. One side of this House has a detailed exposure draft of legislation which is out there, ready to go. The other side of this House is sitting on its hands doing nothing. Those opposite need to take a good hard look at themselves.