House debates

Monday, 11 September 2023

Questions without Notice

Aviation Industry

2:23 pm

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On what date was the Prime Minister or his office first informed of Minister King's decision to block the application for additional flights to and from Australia by Qatar Airways?

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

Why don't they fight for Australian jobs?

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The Minister for the Environment and Water is warned.

2:24 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

As I indicated to parliament last week, I was informed by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government after I had a discussion with the Virgin CEO, which was on 13 July.

The idea that when I'm at a NATO summit the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government thinks she'll ring me up or contact me to tell me that nothing is happening is just bizarre. I can also confirm the Minister for the Environment and Water didn't ring me up to tell me that nothing was happening, the Treasurer didn't ring me up to tell me that nothing was happening, the Minister for Education didn't ring me up to tell me that nothing was happening and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy didn't ring me up to tell me that he was still sticking to net zero by 2050.

This shows how bereft they are of any real issues. This is a status quo-nothing decision being made—a nothing decision, to keep exactly the same thing that was put in place just one year ago. The idea that this was front and centre while I was at a NATO summit discussing a land war in Europe with all of the global inflationary consequences that were going on is quite frankly absurd.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

When the House comes to order I will hear from the member for Chisholm.