Instead, the Prime Minister, backed up by the Leader of the Opposition, came in here and made wide-ranging sprays attempting to connect the peaceful protests of people who are seeking to make their views about Labor’s complicity with this genocide heard with the actions of other people, including here in this place.
Mr BANDT (Melbourne—Leader of the Australian Greens) (15:17): I seek to make a personal explanation.
The SPEAKER: Do you claim to be misrepresented?
Mr BANDT: Yes, Speaker—
The SPEAKER: You may proceed.
Mr BANDT: by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition earlier in question time. This Prime Minister is so desperate to detract and distract from Labor’s complicity and backing of the invasion that is taking place at the moment that they will come in here and make spurious allegations—
Government members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right!
Mr BANDT: against Greens members of parliament that need to be corrected.
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Australian Greens will just pause.
Mr Wallace interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The member for Fisher knows better than that. Members on my right, I can barely hear a word that is being said. If anyone interjects on my right during this period, they’ll be ejected immediately. I want to hear from the Deputy Leader of the House.
Mr Butler: The standing orders in Practice in relation to personal explanations are clear. The member needs to explain where he has been misrepresented. He immediately launched into an attack on the Prime Minister. I ask that he be brought back to pointing out where he has been misrepresented.
The SPEAKER: I’ll just allow the leader to continue so he can explain to the House where he was misrepresented and how he was misrepresented—not whether he liked being misrepresented or not. I hope that’s clear. The Leader of the Australian Greens has the call.
Mr BANDT: In a desperate attempt to distract from Labor’s backing of the invasion of Gaza, the Prime Minister made a number of representations—
Government members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right!
Ms Payne interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Canberra will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a). There are to be no more interjections.
The member for Canberra then left the chamber.
The SPEAKER: The member for Melbourne needs to explain exactly where—
Mr BANDT: There were misrepresentations about myself and Greens MPs in this parliament that need to be corrected. We have been crystal clear that the Greens, as a party of peace and nonviolence, support protest that is peaceful—
Honourable members interjecting—
Mr BANDT: And we have made it crystal clear, including on the record, that that should be the case. But instead—
Mr Dreyfus: You’ve been doing this for months—
The SPEAKER: The Attorney-General will leave the chamber under 94(a)! No-one is to interject while I’m hearing this!
The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.
Mr BANDT: Instead, the Prime Minister, backed up by the Leader of the Opposition, came in here and made wide-ranging sprays attempting to connect the peaceful protests of people who are seeking to make their views about Labor’s complicity with this genocide heard with the actions of other people, including here in this place.
Let us be absolutely crystal clear—
The SPEAKER: The member for Griffith on a point of order and then the member for Wannon.
Mr Chandler-Mather: This is a matter in relation to the standing orders, Mr Speaker. A member of the Labor Party there, I’m not actually sure of his title, made a reflection on the Leader of the Australian Greens and I’d like him to come back in and withdraw.
Opposition members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left! I didn’t hear that—
Mr Chandler-Mather: It was the member for Solomon.
The SPEAKER: Well, I shall deal with the member of Solomon separately to this issue. I didn’t hear what was said, so I can’t take action on that matter. The member for Wannon on a point of order.
Mr Tehan: Mr Speaker, a point of order: the leader of the Greens has been asked to go to where he has been misrepresented, and he is not going there. He continues to defy your ruling that he should, and I think the House is not being advanced by the leader of the Greens’ conduct.
The SPEAKER: I’m going to give the leader of the Greens one more chance to explain exactly where he has been misrepresented.
Mr BANDT: Mr Speaker, I’ve made it clear that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition made a number of severe and direct misrepresentations about actions that are taking place outside this place, when we have been crystal clear on the record about our approach to how people should exercise protests. Instead, a number of severe misrepresentations were made. Why? Because they’re attempting to distract from their complicity. And that’s why I seek leave to move that so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Melbourne from moving the following motion:
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) The state of Israel has signed a $3 billion contract with the United States for a further 25 F-35 fighter aircraft;
(b) Australia plays a significant role in the F-35 fighter aircraft global supply chain with a range of components manufactured here in Australia, including the sole manufacturing of F-35 fighter aircraft’s uplock actuator system, which allows the F-35 to drop its payload; and
(c) the F-35 fighter aircraft are being used to bomb the people of Gaza; and
(2) calls on the Government to immediately end all direct and indirect trade of military equipment with the State of Israel, including the provision of critical components of the F-35 fighter jet supply chain.
It is critical that we debate this motion now, because Labor is attempting to do anything to distract from their complicity in the unfolding genocide. A—
The SPEAKER: Resume your seat—
Mr BANDT: I’m happy to stand up—
The SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat! The Deputy Leader of the House?
Mr Butler: Mr Speaker, the member had the right to issue a personal explanation, so I now move:
That the member no longer be heard.
A division having been called and the bells being/having been rung—
Mr Bandt interjecting—
Government members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Australian Greens will cease interjecting.
Government members interjecting—
Mr Bandt interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Australian Greens is now warned, and members on my right will remain silent during the division.
The question is that the Leader of the Australian Greens no longer be heard.