House debates Questions without Notice
Prime Minister
Richard Marles Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2:42 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, this fortnight, he has denied saying electric vehicles would 'end the weekend', denied paying parents to vaccinate their children, wrongly claimed he texted he was going on a holiday to Hawaii and blamed Labor for his failure to introduce an anticorruption bill? Why does the Prime Minister have such difficulty with the truth?
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence
It was a barely credible question all the way through, and then, at the end, he flicked a switch to vaudeville. The last part of that question is completely out of order because it contains a slur. It's only said for the TV cameras, and the Australian public should see through it.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
The question deals with a series of issues that have been the subject of question time over the last fortnight. On the final part of the question that the Leader of the House just referred to, there are specific rules as to how honesty can be tested in this place and words that are not allowed to be used, and the wording of this question is consistent with the precedents that have previously been allowed.
Andrew Wallace Speaker
Unless the Manager of Opposition Business would like to take me to Practice for some precedents on those, I'm not minded to allow the last part of the question. I'm going to allow the Prime Minister to answer the question, but the last part is out of order.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:44 pm
What I can confirm is, frankly, the Labor Party is so focused on the trivialities of politics and cheap 'gotcha'.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
This is the great accusation that the Labor Party makes against me as Prime Minister—
Andrew Wallace Speaker
The Prime Minister will resume his seat. I'm going to invite the member on my left that yelled out an unparliamentary remark to withdraw it. I didn't see who it was, but—
An honourable member: What a shock!
The member for Whitlam is seeking the call.
Stephen Jones Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer
I said the word 'corruption' and I withdraw.
Government members interjecting—
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence
Again, the withdrawal needs to be unconditional. This member is a habitual offender, as we know, but he should withdraw unconditionally or, frankly, he should leave the chamber.
Andrew Wallace Speaker
I interpreted the member for Whitlam's withdrawal to be without reservation. His further comment was made out of order, I might add, but as a remark to someone else's comment. So it wasn't an equivocal withdrawal, at least from what I could hear anyway. The Prime Minister has the call.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Labor Party opposition prove day in and day out that they're more interested in the slurs, sledges and trivialities of politics and coming in here and showboating around than focusing on the issues that are really demanding the attention of the Australian people that our government are focused on—getting them into jobs, keeping them safe, driving our manufacturing industries forward, getting electricity prices down and standing up to those who would seek to coerce Australia and threaten the interests of Australians. These are the strong things that our government have done. These are the strong focuses that we as a government have. The weakness of the ALP and the weakness of their leadership brings them back to the trivialities. Their big problem with me as Prime Minister is apparently that I go home for Father's Day, I have a holiday with my family and I go to church on a Sunday. Get over it. A lot of Australians do.