Download Fragment

Thursday, 16 February 2012
Page: 1657

Prime Minister

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP (Mackellar) (14:42): My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister of Ms Kim Sattler's statement: 'Before the riot on Australia Day I had more than one phone conversation and more than one text conversation with Mr Hodges.' Given these text messages were sent by the Prime Minister's former adviser on his government mobile phone, will she now request the release of those text messages?

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:43): We meet on a day when more Australians are in work than ever before, and this is the kind of question we get from the opposition. Of course, they do not want to talk about jobs. The Leader of the Opposition said at the start of this sitting fortnight, in his best Dirty Harry, 'Make my day' and 'Let's talk about jobs,' and this is the question we get.

Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will cease answering the question. The Prime Minister is deviating from the substance of the question. I would ask the Prime Minister to return to the substance of the question. The Leader of the House.

Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, on a point of order, is it in order for advisers in the advisers box to interject against the Prime Minister while she is giving an answer to a question?

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Stephen Smith: Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: I will hear the Minister for Defence.

Mr Stephen Smith: Mr Speaker, in addition to the point which the Leader of the House has made, in the course—

Opposition members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The member on my left who interjected will remain silent, and the minister will commence his contribution again.

Mr Stephen Smith: In addition to the point which the Leader of the House made, in the course of the Leader of the House's contribution the person from the advisers box was continuing to interject on him.

The SPEAKER: The answer to the question asked of me by the Leader of the House is: clearly, it is grossly disorderly for anyone from the advisers box to interject. I did not actually observe that but I give notice that, if I do, the offending individual will be banned from the advisers box for the duration of my speakership.

Ms GILLARD: In relation to the member's question, I was asked about these matters yesterday and I indicated to the member then that the opposition, through its legal spokesperson, has written to the Federal Police about this matter. Having written to the Federal Police, I presume that they want the Federal Police to look at it. The Federal Police are doing that.

Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: with great respect to the Prime Minister, she has not answered these questions at any point about whether she will release the text messages on the government phone between Ms Sattler and Mr Hodges.

The SPEAKER: I do not need the assistance of the Manager of Opposition Business. It was a fairly tight, narrow question, and the Prime Minister will respond.

Ms GILLARD: My point is this: having asked the Federal Police to deal with the matter, I think that is the appropriate course.

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP (Mackellar) (14:46): Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. In the light of that answer, how can the Prime Minister expect the Australian people to accept her alibi when she will not release the text messages which will either verify or explode that alibi?

Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: that clearly was out of order.

The SPEAKER: I will allow the supplementary question.

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:47): This is a very deliberate tactic from the opposition. What we have seen from them over the last two days is the use of the word in the member's question. That is done to create smear when they lack a substantive allegation and they lack any proof. If they have a substantive allegation, then put it; otherwise, of course, they are exposed before the Australian people as the irrelevant smear merchants that they are.