Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. When did the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's office become aware of allegations concerning sexual assault as broadcast by The Project in 2021?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition asks a question about when did the Prime Minister's office know about this, and, indeed, that is the question. When did the Prime Minister's office know? There was, of course, an inquiry into what the Prime Minister's office knew and when and who was told, and we still have never seen the Gaetjens inquiry. We know, indeed, that the Leader of the Opposition asked this question, but I'm surprised, because he knows that he informed the Prime Minister's office days before there was any public announcement of this.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If someone interjects one more time on my right they will be removed from the chamber immediately. I want to hear from the Leader of the Opposition.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's on relevance. This is a tricky answer. The Prime Minister was asked a question. I asked with respect to your office—I framed it in that way. If he wants to play these silly, juvenile games, the Australian public—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition has raised his point of order. He will cease interjecting immediately. The member for Deakin is getting close to being warned. I want to hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order: the question from the Leader of the Opposition was completely in order because it asked about the Prime Minister's office. If he wants to ask a different question to get a different answer, then page 555 of Practice will tell him how to do that. The Prime Minister is simply answering the question he was asked. What the Leader of the Opposition is embarrassed about is that he couldn't work out how to get a question in order.

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right! The House will come to order so I can hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order and responding to what the Leader of the House has said: the question from the Leader of the Opposition clearly referred to the Prime Minister. That's the Prime Minister of the day; the Prime Minister today; this man sitting here. He knows what he needs to know to answer. All kinds of sneakiness and trickiness does not get around what he's supposed to be answering.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to deal with this matter before I return to the Prime Minister. As members know, including the manager and the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister cannot be asked, under standing orders—and the manager is correct: page 553 to page 555 of Practice makes clear that ministers or prime ministers cannot be asked questions about their actions in a former role or as a private member before becoming a minister. The question was lineball in terms of what the Prime Minister is responsible for. Moving forward, questions will be ruled out of order in terms of actions or issues before ministers or prime ministers came into these roles. The Prime Minister is answering the question. I'm going to listen carefully to his answer to make sure he's being relevant to the standing orders but also being relevant to the question. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank you for your instruction to the House. I seek clarity in relation to the points that you've just made. I understand the standing orders in Practice, but my clarification of you is to ask: given all of that, is it still open to the Prime Minister to answer honestly and openly the question that was put to him?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question, as I explained, was in order; lineball. I'm going to listen carefully. He's one minute into his answer about the important, serious issues that were raised. I'll listen to him carefully. If he strays or if he is not in line with the standing orders, he will be brought back into order. I give him the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about what the Prime Minister's office knew. The truth is that that goes to the heart of what this issue is. The heart of this issue goes to an alleged sexual assault by a Liberal staffer against another Liberal staff member in a Liberal minister's office in 2019, metres away from the then Liberal Prime Minister's office. When these allegations became public, two years after the Morrison government became aware of the security breach, the truth is that it sent shockwaves not just through the parliament but through the nation, as it was the first step in exposing a problematic culture in what should be Australia's safest building, the one right here.

Scott Morrison had an inquiry led by Phil Gaetjens, his former chief of staff, who was then the head of his department, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, into who knew what and when in his own office. That report has never been released. What we do know is that the Leader of the Opposition informed the Prime Minister's office prior to that information becoming public. But he didn't reveal that until 10 days after news.com.au published this information at 8 am on 15 February, and The Project aired an interview with Ms Brittany Higgins that evening. For 10 days the Leader of the Opposition said nothing about what he knew and about the fact that he informed the Prime Minister's office on that day.