Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Section 5.1 of the Prime Minister's code of conduct requires ministers:

… to provide an honest and comprehensive account of their exercise of public office … in response to any reasonable and bona fide enquiry by a member of the Parliament …

The opposition has asked more than 30 questions about Senator Gallagher and allegations of sexual assault. When will Senator Gallagher provide an honest and comprehensive account of her conduct, given her many contradictory statements to date?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

SE (—) (): I'm asked about questions to answer about these issues. The fact is that, dating back to 22 March 2021, there are 57 questions on notice in the Senate not answered whatsoever. They include, 'Is it still the Prime Minister's contention that the first time his office knew about the rape alleged to have occurred in Parliament House on 23 March 2019 is 12 February 2021?' and 'Is it still the Prime Minister's contention that the first time he knew about the rape alleged to have occurred at Parliament House on 23 March 2019 is 15 February 2021?' There are questions about the Gaetjens review—which, of course, we have not seen—and questions including, 'Did the Prime Minister's office tell Mr Dutton's office about media enquiries about the alleged rape before Mr Dutton's chief of staff contacted the Prime Minister's chief of staff on 12 February 2021?' and 'What information did the Prime Minister's chief of staff receive from Mr Dutton's chief of staff?'

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will pause. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker, it's on relevance. The Prime Minister reaches for a piece of paper and rattles off a karaoke list of incidental facts. This is not relevant to the ministerial code of conduct that is your code of conduct.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Resume your seat. I want the House to come to order so I can hear from the Prime Minister. I can't hear what he's saying at the moment, because there is far too much noise. I will listen carefully to make sure he's being relevant to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about questions and whether there have been answers given to them. They went on to also ask:

Did the Prime Minister's chief of staff pass this information to anyone else?

On how many other occasions in 2021 has the chief of staff to the Home Affairs Minister passed on information about sensitive Australian Federal Police investigations to the Prime Minister's chief of staff?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The deputy leader has already taken a point of order on relevance. I'm going to ask her to resume her seat unless it's on a different point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is it your view that the Prime Minister is being relevant to the question with this answer?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I haven't made a ruling. It's not the time to ask me those questions. Question time is for ministers. The question was about the statements and the issues surrounding Senator Gallagher and questions that have been asked. The Prime Minister is being relevant. I'm just listening to what—

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! If you're asking questions about what has occurred and statements that have been made, and about the questions, I don't know exactly what questions Senator Gallagher has been asked in the other place. I am listening to the Prime Minister carefully to make sure he is being relevant. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on your point, it can't seriously be the contention that, if the Prime Minister or a minister is asked a question about questions that have been put to the government, the Prime Minister can somehow make relevant questions that were asked by the then opposition to the then government back in 2021. That can't be a serious interpretation of the standing orders in this parliament, I would respectfully put to you, Mr Speaker. It cannot be ruled in order, surely, for the Prime Minister to somehow, in this tricky and slippery way that he's been conducting himself—

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Resume your seat. Members on my right will resume their seats. The minister for health?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A few points in response to that, Mr Speaker. Firstly, there is only one point of order on relevance allowed. It's quite clear the Leader of the Opposition was trying to have a second point of order on relevance. The second point I'd make is it was a very wide-ranging question, and the third point is he should withdraw what he said at the end of that point of order.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member finds the term unparliamentary, I'll ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw. To assist the House, if the member feels he's been reflected upon, I will ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw the comment.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Noting the precedent, I withdraw.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition. In terms of this question, the Prime Minister needs to remain relevant regarding the questions that were asked in the Senate. I'm going to give him the call but I'm asking him to be relevant to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

News flash! I'm not in the Senate. And—news flash—I'm not aware of all the questions that have been asked in the Senate, including today, because I've been here. But I do know that yesterday they got onto the big picture, because they asked whether an invite had been given to a wedding, some time, when Senator Gallagher was the Chief Minister of the ACT, a wedding that she didn't go to, a wedding that, like many of us—I get invited to weddings of people I don't know in my electorate. I'm sure that some of those opposite do too, if only for entertainment value! The fact is that 57 questions remain—

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He just referred specifically to one of the questions!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister is talking about the questions that were asked, which was in your question.

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! I don't know every question that was asked in the Senate, so I've got to listen to what the Prime Minister is saying to make sure his answer is relevant. I'll hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the Prime Minister flouting your ruling, Mr Speaker?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat. No. I was trying to listen to the Prime Minister as he was referring to questions that were asked, which was part of your question. The Prime Minister has 14 seconds left.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Believe it or not, that is a real question that was asked by those opposite. The Morrison government failed to answer 57 questions. We still haven't seen the Gaetjens inquiry, but it is up to this parliament that does have the power— (Time expired)

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, members on my right! The Prime Minister has concluded his answer, but I'll hear from the member for Petrie.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the point of order is on reflecting on members. The member for Isaacs made an unparliamentary comment to the deputy leader, Sussan Ley, at the beginning of the question. I ask that he withdraw.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I haven't said anything yet. If you let me finish and stop interrupting., I'll ask the Attorney-General to come to the dispatch box to withdraw an unparliamentary term that was used.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.