Mr ALBANESE (2:38 PM) —My question is again addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Minister, I refer to your previous answers where you stated to this House that you were unaware of allegations of discussions regarding Mr Maguire, and of discussions that had taken place between him, Senator Sandy Macdonald and the member for New England, and that inducements had been given, until that information was made public prior to the federal election campaign. I refer also to your previous answer in which you—

Government members interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Member for Grayndler, come to your question.

Mr ALBANESE —I refer to your answer in which you stated—

The SPEAKER —Would the member come to his question?

Mr ALBANESE —Yes.

Government members interjecting—

Mr ALBANESE —I refer to your answer in which you stated that you were unaware of reports that The Nationals had engaged in preference negotiations with the Fishing Party—

The SPEAKER —Would the member come to his question.

Mr ALBANESE —regarding the Great Barrier Reef extension.

Government members interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Would the member come to his question.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr ALBANESE —Minister, given that this discussion was widely reported, including in the Australian on 26 October, how can you expect this House to believe that you were unaware of these discussions?

The SPEAKER —Would the member resume his seat. I rule that question out of order. That is a question that is suggesting its own answer.

Mr Latham —Mr Speaker, on a point of order: is it really an expectation that members of the opposition have to ask questions with the whole of the government benches yelling at them and are expected to have their questions in order? Is this what you mean by `firm and fair'? Fair to who? That certainly was not very fair to the member for Grayndler.

The SPEAKER —Would the Leader of the Opposition resume his seat. There is no point of order. I call the honourable member for Dobell.

Ms Gillard —Mr Speaker, on a point of order: can I suggest to you that the member for Grayndler be allowed to ask his question again? It was clearly in order. In this chamber the Deputy Prime Minister has said that he did not know something about a matter that was widely reported. We therefore have to be entitled to point to the public reporting of this matter, and that is what the question was about.

Government members interjecting—

The SPEAKER —I will rule on the point of order. Would the member resume her seat, please. Twice I asked the member for Grayndler to come to his question and he did not, so I have now called the member for Dobell.

Ms Gillard —Mr Speaker, I have another point of order. My point of order relates to your obligation to keep this House in good order.

The SPEAKER —The member for Lalor will resume her seat and I will rule on the point of order.

Ms Gillard —The member for Grayndler found it difficult to come to the conclusion of his question because of persistent interjections on the other side—

The SPEAKER —The member will resume her seat. I will rule that out of order. I suggest to you, Member for Lalor, that when I have asked you to resume your seat you will resume your seat, then I can rule.

Mr Martin Ferguson —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My point of order goes to the fact that when the Manager of Opposition Business in the House was taking a point of order you freely allowed the government to interject in a most unruly way. When are you going to bring them to order in an even-handed fashion?

The SPEAKER —There is no point of order. Resume your seat.