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Thursday, 1 March 2012
Page: 2524

Gillard Government

Ms JULIE BISHOP (Curtin—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:45): My question is to the Prime Minister. On whose authority and by whom was the offer to Bob Carr made in relation to her ministry?

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:46): I refer to what I just said in my last answer. The Leader of the Opposition made a false claim yesterday. I have read the statement made by Bob Carr yesterday indicating that that was a false claim.

Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister was asked a very straightforward question without debate—without argument—about who made the offer and on whose authority. She has not answered that question, so she cannot refer to previous answers.

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister has hardly started her answer, and she knows what the question is.

Ms GILLARD: As I have said publicly, I am the only person who can make offers in relation to ministries. On the false claim made by the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, I refer to Bob Carr's statement yesterday—though I am not surprised that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is a believer in conspiracy theories in relation to this matter; after all, she had the humiliation of the Leader of the Opposition saying about the member for Kooyong that it is nice to have someone in the parliamentary party who understands foreign affairs at last.

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will not go down that line. She will return to the substance of the question.

Ms GILLARD: So I understand that she would be a conspiracy theorist, given that the Leader of the Opposition thinks the member for Kooyong should do her job.