Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. In the last parliament, the member asked 16 questions in question time relating to the serious allegations aired on The Project. When asked about this questioning on Sunrise on 5 June this year, the minister stated, 'Nobody tells me what to ask in question time.' Did the minister engage with any third parties regarding the content of these questions before she asked them?

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

I'll 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

In terms of the earlier ruling and Practice, Mr Speaker, the final tag of the question has to be about the statement, not about taking it somewhere else. You can't refer to the statement and say, 'Having done that, now I'm going to ask about this.' The question has to be about what was said in the statement, because the statement is what was said as a minister.

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

I'll hear from the manager.

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

Mr Speaker, the question very specifically went to what the minister said in her interview on 5 June this year, describing her practices in relation to question time.

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

That part of the question is in order. As to the last part, or the hook, that the deputy leader was adding into that, regarding another subsequent question, I just want to remind all members Practice allows questions only to what the minister has said as a minister. She is entitled to answer that question. I'll listen to her carefully to make sure she's relevant to that part of the question. The deputy leader?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I submit to your ruling that there is one question that I have asked that relates to one statement that the minister made in a media interview, and my question directly relates to that statement. With respect to your comment that there's a hook of some alternative question, it is simply not present. It is a straightforward question about—'I don't take instructions about questions I ask'—whether she had any engagement with any third parties about the content of those questions.

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

Two separate questions.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I submit they are not two questions, Prime Minister.

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

I just call the minister to the dispatch box. She can answer the question, and I'm going to listen carefully to make sure she's being relevant to the question and to standing orders.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I say again: nobody tells me what to ask in question time. But is it any surprise that the shadow minister for women, when she hears in the media that there has been a sexual assault in Parliament House, a very serious allegation, and then also hears in the media that that has been inappropriately dealt with by the employers in this place, would ask questions? Is there any wonder? In fact, I would say I would not have been doing my job at all if I had not asked questions about this.

Can I take us back to the issue at hand here once again. Is it any wonder that only 13 per cent of sexual assaults in this country are reported to police when we see what has been happening in the media this week, with SMS messages leaked to the media and with private conversations taped and leaked to the media?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The minister will pause. I'll hear from the member for Goldstein, who was on her feet first. The member for Goldstein on a point of order?

Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker: section 91, disorderly conduct. I would remind the chamber how triggering this conversation is for the woman involved, the staff in this building and the women around Australia who are victims of sexual assault. I also remind the chamber that we have young people in the gallery listening to this behaviour.

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

I want to remind all members that we have a role to play in setting the standard for an inclusive, respectful and professional workplace here in Australia and across Australia. I'm going to ensure that we display exemplary individual leadership, as was agreed by all members of this parliament in February this year. I'll hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's on relevance, Mr Speaker. The points that the member for Goldstein raised around the content of the conversation would be respected better by the minister if she simply answered the question.

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

Resume your seat.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! The minister is being relevant because the question was about her statement about these issues, which she is answering. She has the call. She's halfway through her answer. She's going to be heard in silence. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Goldstein for bringing us back to what matters here. This conversation is an incredibly difficult conversation for many thousands of people who are watching this right now. They find it distressing because they know that, when victims of sexual assault report these matters to the police, they often go into a process which is revictimising and retraumatising. In every instance, I behaved ethically and completely properly, respectful of the issues at hand and respectful of the people involved.