16th Sep 2019, 3:06 PM – Representatives Motions - Prime Minister - Let a vote happen

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Leader of the Opposition and Grayndler MP Anthony Albanese, which means it failed. The motion was to suspend the usual parliamentary rules - known as standing orders - to let a vote happen.

Motion text

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) the Prime Minister has refused to sack the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction despite the Minister admitting on radio he was acting for private interests instead of the public interest and despite the Minister's clear and repeated breaches of the Prime Minister's Ministerial Standards;

(b) the Prime Minister has prevented the Member for Chisholm from providing a full statement in her own words to this House where words carry consequences and instead relied on a statement prepared by the Prime Minister's office issued outside the House;

(c) on Friday, the Prime Minister denied using the phrase "Shanghai Sam" despite using it at least 17 times, including twice in the House; and

(d) the Prime Minister's attempt to cover up his untruth on Friday with another untruth is just the latest in a long line of misdirection ad obfuscation from this Prime Minister; and

(2) therefore, condemns this Prime Minister for repeatedly abandoning any sense of integrity whenever it is politically expedient for him to do so.