House debates Questions without Notice

Prime Minister

Wednesday, 28 October 2026 House of Representatives

Melissa Price

Melissa Price Durack, Liberal Party

2:38 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday, the Prime Minister was forced to admit he was 'not correct' to claim his $6 million grant to Marrickville Golf Club was to fix sewerage flows. On what date did the Prime Minister become aware, and on what date did the Prime Minister's office become aware, that the $6 million grant was not to fix sewerage flows?

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

I thank the member for her question. I've said that part of the original commitment of the upgrade of Marrickville Golf Club was going to fix the long-running sewerage issue that was to be part of renovations. That isn't the case, because the state government have stepped in and announced funding in September 2025. That's a good thing.

Dan Tehan

Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

I seek leave to table some documents: the Prime Minister's media release announcing the grant; GrantConnect grant information; the New South Wales government media release 'Marrickville Golf Club sewerage upgrade grant'; House of Representatives Hansard, Mr Pasin, 9 September 2026; House of Representatives Hansard, Dr M Ryan, 9 September 2026; House of Representatives Hansard, Mr Pasin, 10 September 2026; Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Hansard, 22 October 2026—'sewerage not in the scope'; Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Hansard, 22 October 2026—'MLCIP lists came from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet'; television interview transcript, Minister Catherine King, 25 October; and the FOI document 'PM plan to attend the golf course'.

Mr Tony Burke

Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House

Leave is not granted, but I have a point of order as well. Previous Speakers, at different times, have not allowed the attempted tabling of Hansard on the basis that it is ludicrous to be trying to put into the parliamentary record the parliamentary record. Secondly, the practice which has ordinarily been used in this place is there have been occasions where the person who was asked a question has sought to table a document that was referred to specifically in the question. We have a new practice, which has started in very recent times, where people who had nothing to do with the question are standing up and, effectively, using tabling as a debating point, which I would suggest is an abuse.

Dan Tehan

Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

To the point of order—

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

The manager is going to remove that folder from the dispatch box. I know what you're trying to do. You've tried it all question time. It's not going to work. We're not going to have props. No-one's better than anyone else here. If we start that, everyone will start playing these games, and that's not what question time is about. Don't abuse question time with trying to do these tricks and stunts. I'm over it, and everyone's over it.

Dan Tehan

Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

We were seeking to table those documents because we asked a very specific question of the Prime Minister about dates and times. The Prime Minister wasn't able to answer it, so we were trying to help him.

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

I want to deal with the leader's point of view. He was correct on going down the path of tabling Hansard. To put back into Hansard is, I think, a statement of the obvious. If the member for Durack felt that she had documents to back up her question, that may be appropriate. I don't want this war of tabling to continue on—or trying to use points to try and make extra points out of question time. If people want to table documents, they've got the right to do that, but just be reasonable and responsible.