Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:32): I do appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition is a little embarrassed by the conduct of Senator Conroy. Mr Dreyfus: Answer the question. The SPEAKER: The member for Isaacs will desist! Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Jagajaga and the member for Sydney will desist. Mr ABBOTT: If the Leader of the Opposition is embarrassed by Senator Conroy's conduct, he should have a word in Senator Conroy's ear and say that it would be good for his dignity and that of the parliament if he simply apologised to General Campbell. Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There was no argument in the question. It was specific to the pay of people who are serving Australia. If anything should deserve direct relevance, it is a question of this nature. The SPEAKER: My recollection of the question asked— Ms Rishworth interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Kingston is warned! The question as it was asked was reflecting on the situation with regard to pay to ADF personnel generally and why the situation was as you have described; therefore, the Prime Minister's answer is in line with that question. Mr ABBOTT: Obviously anticipating this issue, members opposite have decided that this is some kind of a riposte for the Leader of the Opposition's unwillingness to pull into line his shadow minister for defence. The trouble with this question is that it is false—utterly, absolutely and completely false. It is typical, I regret to say, of this opposition. They never let the facts get in the way of a good smear. That is typical of this opposition. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: There will be silence on my left! Mr ABBOTT: The truth is that the conditions of service of personnel in the Middle East have changed. Haven't members opposite realised that we are no longer in combat in Afghanistan? Haven't they recognised that we have concluded our combat mission in Afghanistan? Haven't they realised that? Well, we have. We have concluded our combat mission in Afghanistan. Ms Rishworth interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Kingston will remove herself from the chamber under standing order 94(a). The member for Kingston then left the chamber. Mr ABBOTT: Has the Leader of the Opposition forgotten that he and I both went to Tarin Kot to solemnly observe that our combat mission had ended? Because the conditions of service have changed, the relevant allowances have changed. That decision was made quite properly by the service chiefs in response to the changed conditions of service in Afghanistan. I can see the member for Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon, sitting there squirming in embarrassment at this grubby tactic on the part of the opposition. You should be embarrassed by Senator Conroy's behaviour— Mr Shorten: You're a puddle of grubs. Mr ABBOTT: I am sorry, what was that? Mr Shorten: You're a puddle of grubs. The SPEAKER: I did not hear the interjection. If it was offensive, I ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw. Mr Shorten: I am happy to assist. I withdraw. Mr ABBOTT: The best way to deal with this issue is for the Leader of the Opposition to ask Senator Conroy to apologise. Opposition members: Time! Time! Time! The SPEAKER: There will be quiet on my left, particularly from the member for Isaacs. If there was not so much noise on my left, I would have been looking at the clock instead of you.