House debates Questions without Notice
Prime Minister
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)
2:38 pm
O'CONNOR () (): My question is to the Prime Minister. Leaking from cabinet is a criminal offence. Has the Prime Minister asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the source of the major cabinet leak designed to undermine the Prime Minister?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Andrew Wallace Speaker
I'm going to ask the member for Gorton to return to the dispatch box and ask that question again. The member for Mackellar's booming voice was preventing me from hearing the question, as were members on my left.
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)
Thanks very much, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Prime Minister. My question is to the Prime Minister. Leaking from cabinet is a criminal offence. Has the Prime Minister asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the source of the major cabinet leak designed to undermine the Prime Minister?
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence
It's impossible for the Prime Minister to answer such a question. If he has provided a reference to the Australian Federal Police, it would be in confidence to the commissioner. It's not in order to ask that question.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
To the point of order, we are allowed to ask questions about what the Prime Minister has done and what action he has taken. If he has chosen to go down the path that the Leader of the House has said and decided to keep secret what he's done that is a matter for his answer, but the question is in order.
Andrew Wallace Speaker
The Prime Minister has the call; the question is in order.
