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Monday, 19 March 2012
Page: 3262

Member for Dobell

Mr PYNE (Sturt—Manager of Opposition Business) (15:02): My question is to the Prime Minister. I direct the Prime Minister to the BDO Kendalls report into the activities of the member for Dobell while an official of the Health Services Union that found he was likely to have breached industrial laws and criticised his failure to question seven credit card transactions for adult services, totalling $5,000, as well as other inappropriate spending. I ask the Prime Minister: does she still have the full confidence in the member for Dobell that she expressed on the 16, 17 and 18 August 2011?

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (15:03): I have expressed my full confidence in the member for Dobell and I continue to do so. Let me also make this observation: what we are seeing from the opposition today is 'distraction day'. They think the Australian public are stupid. They think members of the press gallery are stupid, too. They think, on a day on which the government will deliver two major pieces of economic reform—the minerals resource rent tax, where the opposition is in a world of pain about denying company tax cuts—

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will return to the question.

Ms GILLARD: Mr Speaker, I am explaining the motivation for the question. On a day on which there are two major economic reforms before this parliament, the mineral resource rent tax and the skills reform package—

Opposition members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister does not need to explain the motivation. She needs to answer.

Ms GILLARD: Mr Speaker, this is the best they can do—a cheap distraction—and everyone should see through it.