QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Dr WEBSTER (Mallee) (14:36): My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services This morning, the Assistant Treasurer could not answer a question about a tobacco store being firebombed in his own electorate. Today, at 3.15 am, police responded to another firebombing—again in his own electorate. Five people who are now the victims of organised crime were inside the building on the first floor at the time of the incident.
Why is the minister refusing to protect his own constituents by joining with the coalition to slash the tax and crush organised crime? The SPEAKER: I'll get the member to stand by. We might have to reframe some of that question.
If you stand by, I will hear from the Leader of the House. Mr Burke: The standing orders are quite clear that ministers can be questioned on their ministerial responsibility, but you are not questioned in your capacity as a local member of parliament, and that was the entirety of that question. Even the concept of rephrasing the entire question is completely out of order.
The SPEAKER: The difficulty we've got for this question is that I understand where the shadow minister is coming from, but it doesn't seem to be within the minister's responsibilities, because we can't assume that everyone knows what you're referring to. So you probably can assist the House by rephrasing the question about the minister's responsibilities rather than— Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order!
I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. Mr Tehan: I understand the bit about refusing to protect his own constituents and the need for that to be reworded— Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! The manager is going to be heard in silence.
Get to your point. Mr Tehan: With regard to the assistant minister's responsibilities, I take you to the Press Club, where he was asked a question about this. He said: And can I just say on the tobacco excise firstly, we are working closely with jurisdictions right around Australia on this.
We're working with all states and territories. … … … The ATO is examining it from a range of perspectives. If he's happy to do that at the Press Club— The SPEAKER: None of that was in the question. None of it.
Mr Tehan interjecting— The SPEAKER: I know, but we're just going to deal with this. Don't worry; we'll get there. But I didn't appreciate you also repeating the slur on the attack about the minister in that language.
It's beneath the dignity of the House to accuse someone of that. That's not within his responsibility. Mr Tehan interjecting— The SPEAKER: Okay, thank you.
I didn't hear that part. It's good that you've now said that, but we don't need to repeat those sorts of slurs at the time, if that makes sense. The Leader of the House on a further point of order?
Mr Burke: I've now had the chance to look at a live transcript of the question itself. I respect that, when a question involves some things that are out of order and some things that are not, you'll often ask for it be rephrased. There is not a single part of this question, other than the minister's title at the start, that goes to his ministerial responsibility.
I put to you, Mr Speaker, that the concept of a rephrase has always been something that would be done where there were parts that were in and parts that were out. Where the entirety of the question is an abuse, I'd suggest there are other options available. The SPEAKER: The manager?
Mr Tehan: The question says 'Slash the tax'. How is that not relevant to the Assistant Treasurer? It is just making a complete mockery of question time if you can't ask that.
The SPEAKER: We're going to help the House. I know the member for Mallee wants her question answered and I want to give her the right to ask her question, as she's entitled to do so. I'm going to ask her to remove the reflection on the minister in the first part of the question and rephrase the question, as the Leader of the House was indicating, to apply to what the minister is responsible for.
I don't want to put words in her mouth, but she's ultimately saying: will the minister agree with the coalition's policy to remove the tax? That's, I think, where we're heading with this. We'll have that rephrased, in her words, as she would like.
Dr WEBSTER: My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services. This morning, the Assistant Treasurer could not answer a question about a tobacco store being firebombed in his electorate. Today at 3.15 am, police responded to another firebombing, again in his own electorate.
Five people who are now the victims of organised crime were inside the building on the first floor at the time of the incident. Why is the minister refusing to protect Australians by joining with the coalition? The SPEAKER: The problem that we just agreed on was not to have that part of the question.
So just take that out and get to the question. If you don't do it quickly and I'm not satisfied, we will move on. I hope I'm crystal clear about what I would like in the question and what is within the standing orders.
Dr WEBSTER: Why will the minister refuse to join with the coalition to slash the tax and crush the organised crime gangs?