Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to her claim on 23 August that she had no involvement in the AWU fund after helping set it up in early 1992. I refer to this article by Hedley Thomas which states that the Prime Minister and Bernard Murphy were advising Ralph Blewitt in a defamation action against AWU officials in late 1993. It says:

Mr Blewitt said the defamation action was vital to silence dissenters because if they had succeeded in ousting him the slush fund … would have been exposed …

Given the Prime Minister's involvement in this defamation action don't you agree that— (Time expired)

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There was no question attached to the statement within the prescribed time.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition ran out of time before she stated the question. If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition could restate the question without as much argument. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to her claim on 23 August that she had no involvement in the AWU fund after setting it up in early 1992. I refer to this article by Hedley Thomas which states that the Prime Minister and Bernard Murphy were advising Ralph Blewitt in a defamation action. The article said:

Mr Blewitt said the defamation action was vital to silence dissenters because if they had succeeded in ousting him the slush fund … would have been exposed …

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will get to the question.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the Prime Minister agree that this was the purpose of the action?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has a future as a race caller, if nothing else! To the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, I say that I stand by my statement of 23 August. To the opposition in general: I draw their attention to the Leader of the Opposition's statement on 22 August, 'In relation to these matters this is not the main game for us,'—yet another hypocritical statement from the opposition.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will recall to the question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the tenor of this question and the ones that have preceded it, as question time draws to an end at the end of this sitting week, you could not have a clearer choice between a political party with a plan for the future and a party of scare and sleaze and smear. Despite the protestations of the Leader of the Opposition that he was not going to be into this, there they are full of negativity, out of ideas. Scare, sleaze and smear is all they know.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Given the Prime Minister's involvement in the power of attorney in early 1993 and the defamation action in late 1993, how can the Prime Minister continue to—

Mrs Mirabella interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: I ask the member for Indi to withdraw.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Indi will assist the House by withdrawing. I must admit I did not hear what the member for Indi said.

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the betterment of the House, I thank the member for Indi. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will commence her question again, but I am being very magnanimous.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the Prime Minister's involvement in the power of attorney in early 1993 and in the defamation case in late 1993, how can the Prime Minister continue to claim, as she did to journalists at her press conference on 23 August, that her involvement in the AWU fund ceased in early 1992?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I continue to stand by what I said at that press conference. What I said at that press conference was the truth. Can I suggest to the deputy leader of the opposition she does not want to believe everything that she reads in the newspapers. I have also read in some articles in the newspapers that I gave 'an impromptu press conference', which is a reference to one of the longest and most detailed prime ministerial press conferences ever given, where I answered every question that the press gallery had.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the issue of relevance: the question to the Prime Minister was that at her press conference on 23 August she said one thing, which was untrue and the proof is the power of attorney—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following that interjection and just for the edification of the member who has made a false claim in this parliament, I stand by what I said at the press conference.