Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
2:38 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. I refer to the Treasurer's statement that you will be going through the budget line by line and making sure that spending is about building value and not buying votes. In light of this, will the government be honouring its pre-election promise to spend $20,000 building a 'frog bog' at Malmsbury Primary School, announced in the Labor electorate of Bendigo just 15 days before the election?
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
I thank Senator Henderson for the question. I thank her—
Hono urable senators interjecting—
Sue Lines President
Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson has asked a specific question, which the minister has stood to answer and there's disorderly calling out on both sides of the chamber—
Senator Sterle! Minister.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
I thank Senator Henderson for the question and for reminding the chamber of the fiscally responsible way that we are going about managing a broken budget, heaving with a trillion dollars in Liberal debt after we inherited a budget from a government that has spent more, borrowed more and delivered less than any other government.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
Sue Lines President
I'm waiting for your own side to be quiet, Senator Henderson. I assume it's a point of order?
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
Yes, it is. On a point of order of direct relevance, it was a very specific question relating to a pre-election promise to spend $20,000 building a frog bog. Yes or no: will that be delivered? Including: is it fiscally responsible?
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition
What about the toads?
Sue Lines President
Order, Senator McGrath! Senator Henderson has raised a point of order. She is entitled to a response. You did ask a general question. You talked about line by line, and then you asked specifically in relation to a budget measure at a particular school, so the minister is being relevant.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
Thank you, President. I will get to the substance of the question. But, as you said, the senator did go to the fact that we are auditing the budget and going through it line by line, and it is really important work. It's essential work, if we are going to reprioritise within existing funding to shift the budget from political buyoffs that plagued the previous government—
Opposi tion senators interjecting—
The member for New England seemed to get a lot of attention. The price of zero wasn't zero, was it, Senator Birmingham? No. And we saw that in the budget with billions of dollars. The government made a range of election commitments. They're all contained in this plan, which I'm sure you all have, because it's a very, very successful plan that we took to the last election. The election commitments as outlined in this plan—
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
Madam President, I regret to have to raise a point of order on direct relevance again. It was a question specifically about the frog bog. Whether it is fiscally responsible is very questionable—
Sue Lines President
Senator Henderson, please resume your seat. There is no point of order. The minister is being relevant.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
This document outlines all of our election commitments and their fiscal impact, and it is the government's intention, as the Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions, to do what we promised we would do before the election if we were successful. So the answer to that is: where we have made election commitments, we will be delivering on them.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
2:42 pm
I again refer to the Treasurer's statement that she'll be making sure that spending is about building value and not buying votes, and I'm quite confused by the last response because it sounds like the minister is contradicting herself. One minute it's assessing, and the next minute it's—
I'm sorry, Minister; I haven't finished my question.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
A point of order—
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
There's no point of order. I haven't finished my question.
Sue Lines President
Senator Henderson, resume your seat! Senator Henderson, please sit down. Minister?
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
That is not a question. The standing orders don't contemplate a speech instead of questions.
Simon Birmingham SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
On the point of order, earlier this week, President, you provided some advice to the chamber in relation to supplementary questions, having been asked to do so by Senator Wong and those opposite. In that advice you did encourage those making supplementary questions to ensure their supplementary question drew a link to the answer that was provided previously, which is precisely what Senator Henderson was just doing.
Sue Lines President
Senator Wong, I'm going to rule on the point of order, unless there's a different point that you wish to make.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Point of order: I'm not sure that the confused state of the senator's mind, as she described it—her state of confusion—is something that is necessarily an important part of a question.
Sue Lines President
Senator Henderson, please resume your seat—unless it's an entirely different point of order, which I will come to after I've ruled on your first point of order. I haven't yet ruled on your first point of order, so please resume your seat.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
On the point of order—
Sue Lines President
I said I would come to that after I've ruled on this point of order. I draw senators' attention to the rules for questions, which simply say—and this has been reinforced by a number of presidents—that questions should not be prefaced by a statement. Senator Henderson, you have a second point of order?
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
In relation to Senator Wong's derogatory statement about my state of mind—
Sue Lines President
Senator Henderson, there was no point of order there.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
Can I make the point of order, Madam President?
Sue Lines President
No. I've ruled on it; there is no point of order. Please resume your seat.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Sue Lines President
May I also remind senators that points of order are not opportunities for group discussions; that was Senator Parry.
Please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, I am not entertaining a point of order.
Senator Henderson, may I draw your attention to the fact that I am the President of the Senate, not you, and that, when I ask you to resume your seat, that is what I expect to happen. I don't expect you to continue to try and debate an issue. Minister Wong?
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I thought I was referencing Senator Henderson describing herself as being confused by the minister's answer, but, if it was offensive to her, I'm very happy to withdraw.
Sue Lines President
No. Senator Henderson, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, I've just drawn to your attention that it's not a debating point. The question is live. Please resume your seat. Minister.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
She was only halfway through the question.
Sue Lines President
My apologies, Senator Henderson. There's been so much disruption that I was confused. I thought the minister was answering.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
Could I just get some clarification. Could I start the question again and start the clock at the top?
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
I again refer to the Treasurer's statement that you'll be making sure that spending is about building value, not buying votes. In light of this, will the government be honouring its pre-election promise to spend $11,000 on painting a mural at the Kingsway markets, announced in the now Labor electorate of Pearce just seven days before the election?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Sue Lines President
Order! Senator Birmingham, Senator Wong! Order! Senator Henderson has asked a question, to which the minister rose, and the minister is entitled to give her response in silence.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
2:47 pm
The answer is the same as the previous answer, in that, where we have made election commitments, we intend to deliver upon those election commitments. We are ensuring—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Senators:
Government senators interjecting—
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
We are building value. And all of those community programs that we—
Honourable senato rs interjecting—
Sue Lines President
Order! Minister, please continue. I believe the minister is still continuing.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
We made a range of commitments across a number of electorates around small community programs and sporting infrastructure programs. They were detailed and outlined ahead of the election and in our election costings. They are modest and they are important to local communities. It stands in stark contrast to the approach that those opposite took when you embezzled funds in the car park rorts. Remember that? You established them, told everyone they were eligible for them, and then, when you put it in their— (Time expired)
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
2:49 pm
From frog bogs to murals, sandpits, splash parks or even a 'wall of friendship', can the minister confirm the—
On a point of order, Madam President: Senator Wong is making disparaging comments across the table about me continuously. Could I ask you to ask her to cease this behaviour.
Sue Lines President
Senator Henderson, there is so much noise in the chamber it is impossible for me to hear. Please resume your seat. Would Senator Wong like to consider the comments she made, which I did not hear, and withdraw them if necessary.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
Thank you.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Are you asking me to withdraw my comment that you've lost Corangamite twice?
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Is that what I'm asked to withdraw? I think people know in this place that I'm always happy to withdraw if it assists the chamber, but—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I don't know what I'm being asked to withdraw. What am I being asked to withdraw, Senator?
What—that you lost Corangamite twice? That's what you want me—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
It's a fact. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to withdraw it, but, if it assists, I withdraw.
Sarah Henderson Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications
From frog bogs to murals, sandpits and the 'wall of friendship', can the minister confirm that, contrary to the Treasurer's lofty statement about not buying votes, the Albanese government went on a massive pre-election vote-buying spree across Labor and marginal electorates? (Time expired)
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Senators:
Government senators interjecting—
The:
Order on my right! Order! Senator Marielle Smith, order on my right!
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service
2:51 pm
The first point I'd make is that I will not be lectured about buying votes by a former government that spent nine years and billions of dollars doing exactly that in every single budget. Where we made local commitments, important community investments in local infrastructure and sport that were supported by local communities, at the election—very modest programs—we made those commitments before the election. In case you didn't notice, we won the election, and we will be delivering on those election commitments in full—in full!