QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS

Senator CASH (Western Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (16:23): I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by Senator Wong to coalition questions 1 and 2. I have to ask, based on those answers today: how many untruths can our prime minister tell? There are now more questions to answer than we had before we asked our questions today.

In fact, in the case of the Prime Minister, in terms of how many untruths a prime minister can tell, Australia, sadly, is still counting because this prime minister has got an extraordinary relationship with the truth. Here it is. He says one thing.

The facts turn up. Then the old quote turns up. Then the documents turn up.

Then, as we've now seen, lo and behold, the video turns up, and suddenly what the Prime Minister said doesn't actually appear to be backed up by the evidence that is there for all Australians to see on video. That is exactly what has happened in relation to the Prime Minister's answers to questions that we have asked Senator Wong representing him in this place in relation to the Marrickville Golf Club.

Here's what's happened. Yesterday the Prime Minister wanted the Australian people to believe that he barely had anything to do with the place. He said, 'I don't have a card, I don't go in there, I haven't been there for years.' He went on to say: 'I did not know the executive.

I don't do anything whatsoever for it.' And then, bad news—circulating widely now; go and have a look at it, Australia—the video turns up, and there you have it: the Prime Minister there, standing with a microphone in front of members of the Marrickville Golf Club, telling them, 'I've been coming here for decades and using this club.' There he is, standing there with a microphone, saying, 'I've been coming here for decades using this club.' Australians should rightly be saying, well, hold on: just yesterday the Prime Minister said, 'I don't have a card, I don't go there, I haven't been there in years, I don't know the executive and I don't do anything whatsoever for it.' Well, the video evidence shows something very different.

Again, though, in relation to 'I don't do anything whatsoever for it', did everybody see that part of the video where the Prime Minister says, 'and here is a $350,000 election commitment for the club'? I have to say, they are now rivalling Pinocchio in terms of the length and the level of the untruths that they are now prepared to tell. That is an extraordinary definition of 'I have nothing to do with it'— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Minister, a point of order?

Senator Ayres: I think there was a moment there when Senator Cash said something that she probably knew that she shouldn't, but the two acting presiding officers were changing over— Senator Cash: No, I didn't. I likened it to something. Senator Ayres: Well, it's not very—I think we've often asked people to withdraw similar things.

Senator Cash: I can say it again: I likened it to—likened it. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I did miss it. We were just changing over.

I don't know what you said, Senator Cash. You've been here long enough to know, without having to be too clever. If you believe it could be retractable— Senator Cash interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Okay.

Well, I didn't even hear it, and I'm not even going to ask anyone what you said; I don't want to know. We'll seek what it was; we'll find out. It is disappointing at this stage of a Thursday afternoon.

But you've got the call, Senator Cash. Sorry Minister, I did not hear it. Senator CASH: And I was referring to what the Prime Minister has stood and said versus what is now there on the video evidence for all to see: 'I don't do anything whatsoever for it.' Yet we have him there, caught on camera, saying, 'Here's a $350,000 election commitment for the club.' And every other golf club in Australia should be asking a simple question: 'Why weren't we invited, like the Marrickville Golf Clube was, to apply for this grant?' The Prime Minister then got them a $6 million grant—but he 'doesn't do anything for it', does he?

The other thing—and this is where Australians need to also wonder about this Prime Minister and his relationship with the truth—is that he doesn't declare that he has an honorary membership with Marrickville. Why? 'I don't play golf.' Then why did he declare an honorary membership with Royal Sydney Golf Club? The Prime Minister has questions to answer.

Yet again, there's another character— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Sorry, Senator Cash, just resume your seat. Senator CASH: His name is Pinocchio. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, resume your seat!

Senator CASH: You for one— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Resume—crikey! At half past four on a Thursday afternoon, I don't think I'm asking too much—for order. I called you three times.

Senator Cash: You didn't call me! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, I'm not going to get into a blue with you. I'm happy to have a blue with you later on, if you want to!

But I don't think it's worth it, to be serious, to be really honest with you. Oh, my goodness me. Were you seeking a point of order, Senator Stewart?