Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:59): I think it really does say everything about the mode of the opposition today that there was a chant of 'boring' from the opposition backbench when Minister Collins was speaking about closing the gap and employment prospects for Indigenous Australians. Mr Pyne interjecting— Ms GILLARD: They are the kinds of achievements for our nation that the government is focused on while the opposition trawls through the gutter making things up, pursuing a logically inconsistent line of argument— Mr Pyne interjecting— The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business will absent himself from the chamber under the provisions of standing order 94(a) for one hour. I have asked the member to remain silent. The member continued to interject. The Prime Minister has the call. The member for Sturt then left the chamber. Ms GILLARD: Despite the relentless negativity of the opposition, I and the government are focussed on the job of keeping the economy strong, of building a stronger economy for the future and of looking after working families. No amount of muckraking or trawling or irrelevancies will distract us from that path. The muckraking— Mrs Bronwyn Bishop: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As we have all been made aware, the new paradigm requiring direct relevance— The SPEAKER: The member will come to her point of order. Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: is that 'directly answering' it directly means addressing the substance of the question. The Prime Minister is refusing to answer by talking about muckraking— The SPEAKER: The member will resume her seat. I ask the Prime Minister— Mr Albanese: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. Although the microphone had been, quite rightly, turned off, the member for Mackellar continued, in her vitriol, to make a statement that was quite clearly unparliamentary. She should withdraw. The SPEAKER: The member for Mackellar. Mrs Bronwyn Bishop: I seek your guidance, Mr Speaker. If it is unacceptable to describe 'muck' as being relevant to the government of the day, why then is it all right for the Prime Minister to keep referring to 'muckraking'. I merely said, 'She is standing in that muck.' The SPEAKER: It all depends on the context. To use the word 'muck' in one way can be quite different from using it as part of the word 'muckraking'. Quite often the chair must consider the context in which terms are used. The honourable member for Mackellar would assist the processes of the House if she would withdraw that term. Mrs Bronwyn Bishop: Mr Speaker, I will withdraw but I am interested in the term 'muckraking' as distinct from 'standing in muck to rake it'. Would you also define that? The SPEAKER: The member has withdrawn and the Prime Minister has the call. Ms GILLARD: As to what very little substance the member's question had: first, there is a Fair Work Australia investigation in progress. That investigation is proceeding—as verified by the General Manager of Fair Work Australia today—independently and without political interference. End of that campaign by the opposition. Second, the opposition through their legal spokesperson wrote to the Australian Federal Police about matters associated with Australia Day, which they have raised in this parliament today. They wrote to the Australian Federal Police and as recently as last night, in Senate estimates, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police said that they were responding to that correspondence. What the opposition wanted is actually occurring. In those two circumstances, they have what they wanted—the Australian Federal Police and a Fair Work Australia independent investigation, verified today as proceeding without political interference. I ask the opposition: what is all of this about except the cheapest of political point scoring from an opposition that day after day is unable to come into this House and spell out an economic plan. It cannot come into this House and spell out plans for working families and it cannot come into this House and spell out a budget that would have the vaguest hope of ever adding up. Mr Randall interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Canning is skating on extremely thin ice.