Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer rule out a single taxpayer dollar being spent on extremist Islamic prayer groups and places of worship who have been mourning the death of Iran's brutal dictator, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They waited till 2.30 on day 2 before they unleashed a question from the shadow Treasurer, and it's a bad one, because, as the shadow—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The Treasurer has just started his answer. He deserves to be heard in respect, as the member for Goldstein was.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it says everything that the first question from the shadow Treasurer is not a question about inflation. It's not a question about productivity. It's not a question about global economic uncertainty. It's not a question about superannuation. It's not a question about the government's tax cuts.

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

Order! The Treasurer is about 40 seconds into his answer. The manager has one point of order on relevance.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's 104A: direct relevance. The question was very straightforward. Will you rule out a single taxpayer dollar going to one of these groups?

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

As I said, the Treasurer is—as are all treasurers and ministers—entitled to a preamble. He's 40 seconds in, so, whatever he says now, we won't be able to take another point of order on relevance and/or direct relevance. I'll just make sure, now that he's had his preamble, he can return to the question. I thank the manager for raising that point.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like with all public expenditure, we do the best that we can to make sure that public money is going where it's appropriate. Where we discover that that funding is not appropriate, if it's possible, we take the relevant steps at the relevant time. That's been the approach of governments of both political persuasions to try and make sure that public spending, public money, is going where it's appropriate. The broader point that I would make about this is that, at a time when this country faces very serious economic challenges here and abroad—challenges that this side of the House is very focused on—what they have shown over there is that they are more focused on issues which are not the central concern of people around the kitchen tables of this country.

Having got to 2.30 on day 2 without a question from the shadow Treasurer, despite the best efforts of Dennis Shanahan and others who have pointed out that those opposite have completely vacated the field on the economy, the shadow Treasurer, in his usual way, has got up and proven that to be true. If they want to ask me questions, ask me questions about the big economic challenges. I'd be happy to answer them.

Honourable members interjecting—

An honourable member: Withdraw that.

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was pretty clear.

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

I didn't hear any exchange.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order. We will deal with this—

the member for Forrest—in an orderly and respectful way.

An opposition member interjecting

If everyone on both sides would cease interjecting, we would be able to keep moving through the questions, but that's not happening at the moment. I'll listen to the Manager of Opposition Business.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Speaker. This line of questioning is obviously getting under the Prime Minister's skin—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Resume your seat. Do not abuse standing orders when I—do not get up, as we had, and simply say what you wish to say. That's completely disrespectful to me and to the chamber. We'll hear from the member for Newcastle.