Marles, Richard, MP

Mr MARLES (Corio—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:48): My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister confident that all members of the executive are abiding by his ministerial standards? Specifically, is he aware that the Pinnacle Club—an associated entity of the Liberal Party—has been operating out of the taxpayer funded office of the assistant minister for customs? Is the Prime Minister also aware that the Pinnacle Club is holding a fundraiser hosted by the assistant minister for customs, attended by the Assistant Treasurer, and featuring the member for Chisholm as auctioneer? Mr Porter: Mr Speaker— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Members on my left will cease interjecting. I remind them, as I need to do regularly, that, when these questions are asked and there are points of order, I need to be able to hear the points of order so that I can rule on them. For those who found that statement a bit too long, let me just say that it's a high-risk time for interjectors—very high risk. Mr Porter: Mr Speaker, with respect to standing order 98(c), it's the case that the Treasurer, with his responsibility of representing the Minister for Finance, can certainly be asked about the use of electorate offices —not the Prime Minister; that's not within his responsibilities. It is also the case that the Prime Minister was being asked in the second part of that question about fundraising. Of course, there is a well-known prohibition against asking those questions here, as they are party political matters. Mr Burke: Mr Speaker, the question was in three parts. The first part is squarely with ministerial standards. The second, while referring to ministerial standards, questions whether one member of the executive—specifically the assistant minister for customs—has been acting outside of those ministerial standards by using his taxpayer funded office for an associated entity. The SPEAKER: I'm going to rule on this point of order. In response to the Leader of the House, certainly the first part of the question is in order. The next part, which goes to the issues he said should have been referred to the Treasurer, would be right if it were any other minister who had been asked a question that related to a different portfolio. The Prime Minister, by his title, is really the minister for everything. Because of that, as the Practice makes clear, it has always been in the power of the Prime Minister to refer any question to any minister. That's why that power is there. That's why the Prime Minister has that right. With respect to fundraising, the question was about a member of the executive and their office, so I think it does get over each of those hurdles. The question is in order. I call the Prime Minister.