Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities
2:01 pm
My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Does the minister retain full confidence in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull?
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Yes.
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities
Can the minister guarantee that she did not support the member for Dickson, Peter Dutton, in the vote against Prime Minister Turnbull?
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
I think that as a former president of the Labor Party you know that what happens in the party room stays in the party room.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President
Order! I will call Senator McAllister when there is order in the chamber. Senator McAllister, a final supplementary question?
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities
2:02 pm
Given Prime Minister Turnbull has abandoned action on climate change, abandoned his beliefs in the republic and has been positioning to abandon his centrepiece big business tax cut, what is the point in Prime Minister Turnbull?
An opposition senator: What does he stand for?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President
Order! I will call Senator Fierravanti-Wells when there is order. Senator Fierravanti-Wells.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Thank you, Senator McAllister. This government—and can I just focus if I may on what is actually happening in my portfolio and what is happening in the portfolio of international development, because we don't seem to have much interest in this area from those opposite. Can I just say that in relation to the Pacific this government is very much—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
A point of order on direct relevance. The minister has been asked to explain what the point of the Prime Minister is, and she's avoiding the question. I would have thought a loyal minister would want to explain why the Prime Minister should be backed.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance
Labor, as they so often do, ask a highly political question, and, of course, the ministers on this side are providing, as they always do, a proper policy based answer. Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is doing an outstanding job in being directly relevant to a political question.
Opposition senators interjecting—
Scott Ryan President
Order! Everyone in the chamber: it will be a very long question time if it is this noisy. On the point of order, Senator Wong, if questions of such a broad nature relating to the government are asked, it is entirely within order for a minister to address—
Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—
Senator Macdonald! Can senators please not yell while I'm ruling on the point of order.
Senator Wong interjecting—
Senator Wong! Senator Wong, I'm ruling on the point of order.
Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—
Senator Macdonald, I was calling another senator to order. I would appreciate not being yelled at. If a minister is asked a question like that, it is entirely in order for them to address their portfolio, because it relates to the government and the portfolio that they are appointed to by the Prime Minister. Senator Fierravanti-Wells to continue the answer.
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Can I say that for Australia the highest priority is security and prosperity in the Pacific.
Opposition senators interjecting—
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Australia, as part of our overseas development assistance, is primarily focusing its assistance of about $4 billion on overseas development assistance, and a third, approximately $1.3 billion, of that is actually spent in the Pacific.
Scott Ryan President
I am going to ask senators to at least count to three between me calling order and the interjections recommencing.