House debates Questions without Notice
Fiscal Policy
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:00 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister overruled and publicly humiliated the Treasurer over his widow's tax, his death tax, his super tax, his cap on veterans' health care and his botched ban on credit cards. What will the Prime Minister humiliate the Treasurer on next?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
2:01 pm
We are a government that works through a proper cabinet process and that has a Treasurer who I'm very proud of. He's a Treasurer who is promoting reform in the economy, including making sure that we don't create a society where we have our generation able to own their own home and younger generations not able to own their own home. The way that my government functions is orderly, with proper process, proper cabinet government—something that those opposite would not recognise.
We have the shadow opposition leader out there saying on RN Breakfast, 'Clearly there's a need for us to change,' and saying on News24, 'The Liberal Party is in a low ebb.'
Milton Dick Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order.
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
It goes to relevance, Speaker. It's fairly clear. There was nothing about—
Milton Dick Speaker
Resume your seat. This was a peculiar question. This was not about programs. It was not about policies. It was a peculiar question regarding someone's personal behaviour. That's what the question was about. So if you're going to ask that question, you're going to get probably the broadest answer. That's the reality. Further to the point of order?
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
If I may, Mr Speaker—
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
just add to what the member for Wannon has just said, it is very clear in this question. It's about a whole series of taxes imposed by this government that they have had to ditch—the widow's tax, the death tax—
Milton Dick Speaker
Resume your seat. Yes, that was part of the question, but the question was about someone's personal behaviour. That's what the question was about. It included that information; you're right, Leader of the Opposition. But the question was about personal behaviour. That's what the question was.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
Thanks, Mr Speaker. I'll tell you what's humiliating. It's having someone behind the Leader of the Opposition stalk him and someone outside the parliament stalking him as well. This is what Josh Frydenberg had to say:
If our vote recedes further … I cannot see the party surviving in its current form.
An existential crisis.
You don't have to listen to people outside; you can listen to the Leader of the Opposition—for the moment—himself. On Saturday he went along to CPAC, which would be the equivalent of a Labor Party leader going to a Socialist Alliance rally. He went along there to this far-right gathering in Brisbane, and he said that the government he was a senior minister in spent too much money during COVID and allowed in too many temporary migrants. He said they should never have done net zero, and he said that they were never a party of the centre right, they were just a right-wing party. Well, you bet they are—in this race to the bottom. If people have a choice between One Nation or fake One Nation, they'll vote for the real thing, and this guy is a fake.
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
I ask the Prime Minister to withdraw. It was a proper question about your failings and your treasurer's failings.
Milton Dick Speaker
Resume your seat. The issue of the Prime Minister calling someone a fake is the issue I'm dealing with now. I'd like the Prime Minister to withdraw that.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I'll withdraw it, and I ask the member to withdraw his return serve.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Milton Dick Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to be shown that. The Prime Minister's done the right thing. To the manager: if you're raising a point of order, I'll always take it, but we don't need commentary at the end of each point of order.