QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr KENNEDY (Cook) (14:09): My question's to the Prime Minister. Reports in today's Herald say Toorak businessman, Kunal Shah, attended an exclusive fundraising dinner with the Prime Minister and Daniel Andrews in November 2024. Mr Shah has now been charged with selling hundreds of swords and prohibited weapons, including one to a child.

Be straight with Australians. What did the Prime Minister discuss with this weapons dealer over dinner? The SPEAKER: There is a little difficulty with this question under the Practice in terms of fundraising, and those questions are party affairs.

So I'm going to ask the member to rephrase the question to allow it in order. The practice is clear about asking questions regarding fundraising and operations of parties. We can find a way through.

I'm pretty clear we can. The manager on a point of order? Mr Tehan: The prohibition on questions asking about party activities, noted on page 553 of the Practice, does not prohibit questions about the actions of a minister, vis-a-vis their party.

To put it in another way: if this question had only been asked about this secret Labor fundraising dinner, the question would rightly be ruled out of order. I can point you to— The SPEAKER: Yes, we're on the same page about this. I'm just saying that I can rule that part out of the question.

I'm happy to do so, as the manager has helped me to do so, but I just thought he might want to invite it. In deference to the manager, we'll rule that part of the question out and the Prime Minister can answer the question.