Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. I refer to his last two answers in response to members whose electorates were ravaged by bushfires, where people are still living in caravans. Isn't his response exactly what former Premier Gladys Berejiklian was referring to when she stated, 'Lives are at stake today, and he is just obsessed with petty political pointscoring', in the same text message where she went on to say, 'He is actively spreading'—a word that is unparliamentary?

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

The Leader of the House, on a point of order?

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

It's against standing orders for the Leader of the Opposition to unnecessarily name someone to start with, in relation to that quote. It is not necessary. More importantly than that—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Just pause for a moment there. Members on my left, I need to hear the point of order.

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

More importantly, the former Premier of New South Wales has stated, in response to that rumour and the article to which the Leader of the Opposition refers, that they are not her words. She has clarified that. And this guy misleading with his glass jaw isn't going to change it!

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. I don't need to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. I'm not in a position to be an arbiter as to who has said what. The question is in order. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government, through the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, which we established following the royal commission I called into those disasters, is administering the COVID-19 disaster payments and the recovery following the recent storms and floods, is supporting communities impacted by large-scale events which include the bushfires and the North Queensland floods, and is undertaking new initiatives to reduce risks and manage the impact of future natural hazard zones. More than $2.8 billion has been allocated to the recovery, including the now $2.2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund as well as assistance already available through the existing disaster support funding mechanisms. More than $1.7 billion from the fund has already been delivered for locally led efforts on the ground, along with over $700 million in other assistance. In addition, the $390 million for the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program, which will assist communities directly impacted by those bushfires, continues and remains a priority.

In February this year the Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience announced that the government would provide an additional $110 million on top of the $280 million already committed to provide further support to those communities. I remember vividly at the time, when I announced the $2 billion in early January in the Prime Minister's courtyard, saying, 'This is what we will do, and if we need to more we will do more.' And we are doing more. We're continuing to deliver this support on the ground. We're continuing to work with the state government, which is obviously seeking to address the accommodation issues, and we continue to support the communities when it comes to their resilience and recovery on the ground all over the country. The Leader of the Labor Party has been seeking to exploit natural disasters for political gain for the last three years. It's a grubby tactic on his behalf, it reflects on his character and he has failed the character test.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

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

My point of order goes to the nature of rulings as to whether or not you will intervene in advance of a point of order being taken when answers are clearly going beyond the standing orders. At the moment, at the end of answers, we're getting this diatribe. From the moment we then stand up to raise, when an intervention hasn't already occurred, the minister says, 'Oh no, now I've finished.' This is happening consistently now.

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

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for the point of order. I can't determine when a question is going to be finished; that's a matter for the person answering the question. But what I will say is this: I think that line of questioning, particularly in the way it was asked, the wording, is bordering on argument and inferences, even if it is quoting the then Premier of New South Wales. I think the Manager of Opposition Business knows exactly what I'm talking about. I let the question through, but it was bordering on being out of order in any event. The member for Robertson has the call.