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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Australian's editor-at-large, Paul Kelly, who wrote today:

Pivotal to Australia’s success in its pushback against China has been support from the public and bipartisanship from Labor. This bipartisanship is a national asset. The election needs to leave Australia in a stronger position to deal with China, not diminished and more divided.

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

I find it hard to agree when we have a Leader of the Labor Party who claims bipartisanship but says when it comes to the coercion of Australia on trade issues he only wants to see some of that coercion—

I've been going for 20 seconds. I don't think preciousness is a point of order.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. It goes to a mistruth I have previously given a personal explanation on. Previous speakers have ruled that, once a personal explanation is given, the mistruth cannot be repeated over and over again.

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

Part of the issue is that I didn't hear what the statement was. I'm not asking for it to be repeated. When the level of interjections is so high, this is the problem we have. I'm happy to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business, but I don't think I can rule on it because I didn't hear what the Prime Minister said that is said to be offensive. I'm going to ask the Leader of the Opposition to resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was quoting from The Australian on 28 January 2022 on some of the actions that have been taken to stop Australian products going to China. It's a direct quote from the Leader of the Opposition. He may wish to walk away from it, Mr Speaker.

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

I hope that wasn't directed at me, Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition.

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. You have now heard the quote. The quote went on to say: 'Whether it be resources—

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition will get to his point of order.

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

The quote went on to say 'whether it be resources, wine or agriculture—all of'. It went on to make that clear. The Prime Minister is attempting to mislead. To be fair, there was a misleading quote somewhere as well. Ministers know that they're embarrassed by this, but I have made our position very clear in our national interest, and this goes to the very quote that Paul Kelly made, which is that it is not—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Honourable members interjecting—

Before I hear from the Prime Minister, the Manager of Opposition Business was going to take me to a standing order.

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

Thanks, Mr Speaker. I refer you to standing order 68—the part immediately following 68(c)—which gives the Speaker the right to intervene when the misrepresentation is made again. When that's been used, it's often been in cases like this where there is a national interest gravity to it.

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

The Leader of the House on the point of order?

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

Mr Speaker, on the point of order, the Prime Minister was reading a direct quote given by the Leader of the Opposition. It may be inconvenient for him to hear those words, but it was a direct quote. It is not within the spirit of standing order 68, which says, as the Manager of Opposition Business pointed out:

If a Member has given a personal explanation to correct a misrepresentation and another Member subsequently repeats …

But this is not a representation; this is a direct quote of a comment from the Leader of the Opposition. The Prime Minister is entirely—

Honourable members interj ecting—

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

Just wait one moment. I really don't need the commentary. It's not assisting. The Leader of the House?

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

Mr Speaker, standing order 68 goes to a circumstance where somebody has made a misrepresentation about a member of the House and that is cleared up after question time by way of submission from the member claiming to have been offended against and there is then a repeat of that misrepresentation—for example, that they were at an event when they weren't at that event, or that they said 'blue' when it was actually 'red'. It's not that, Mr Speaker. The quote that the Prime Minister is making in question time is a direct quote from the Leader of the Opposition. It is quoted in the Australian newspaper. It may be inconvenient to the Leader of the Opposition to hear those questions, because it goes to his weakness on China, but the standing order is very clear: it's in relation to a misrepresentation, and it does not apply in these circumstances.

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

I thank both the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business. I agree with the Leader of the House. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

It was again the Leader of the Labor Party, when he was asked about Mr Keating's comments criticising AUKUS and saying China was not a threat, who made this response:

Paul Keating always has strong things to say and it's always important to listen to what he has to say … He is wise counsel.

Well, I don't agree with the Leader of the Labor Party about Paul Keating's criticisms of AUKUS and this threat. I don't share his view, nor do I share the view of the member for McMahon, who said:

We will come to office if we win the next election with an open mind as to how Australia and China can best collaborate on the Belt and Road Initiative.

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

Thanks, Mr Speaker: on direct relevance.

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

The question is pretty broad. It talks about bipartisanship in relation to the relationship between Australia and China. The Prime Minister is relevant, and I will ask him to return to the dispatch box.

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

But that's not enough, because the shadow Treasurer said this: 'The government'—that is, the Liberal-National government—'is being a bit negative about the Belt and Road Initiative.' That's what he said. And then there was when the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party went up to Beijing. You won't be able to find the speech he gave to the Beijing Foreign Studies University; he's taken it off his website! But I'm pleased that Senator Paterson has put it on his website. When he went up there, this is what he said:

Our starting point has to be that we respect China and deeply value our relationship with China. We must seek to build it. And not just in economic terms, but also through exploring political co-operation and even defense co-operation.

He said that as the shadow defence minister. I tell you where I do agree—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

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

We've got another Manchurian candidate—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

I didn't hear it. Everybody calm down for a moment. Did the Prime Minister make an unparliamentary remark?

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

[inaudible] but I do agree with—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat.

The member for Lyons! How could I possibly have heard what the Prime Minister said?

The member for Bruce is not being very helpful.

Member for Lyons, that is not helpful either. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the dignity of the House, which this Prime Minister is undermining: the defence cooperation was started by your government—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I don't need to hear from Leader of the House. The Prime Minister withdrew.

Opposition members interjecting—

He did; he said, 'I withdraw.' I appreciate the Prime Minister did withdraw, but the microphone didn't pick it up. Prime Minister, can you just return to the dispatch box—

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

If it assists the House, I will withdraw again. Back on this, in that article, he said, 'The election needs to leave Australia in a stronger position to deal with China.' There is only one side of the House that has demonstrated their resolve on this question. I can tell you that the arbiter of that is the Chinese government themselves, who have picked their horse—and he is sitting right there!