Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister did not actually answer the question. I asked when the government MPs on the list of 40 considered by cabinet were first advised. Is it the fact that they received information prior to the maps being distributed yesterday? If they were not advised earlier, how could the member for Stirling have got his advertisement into the papers today? Can the minister advise whether or not the ad was drafted by the government members secretariat on behalf of those members? Isn’t it the case that you didn’t release the information yesterday but you had put in a political campaign well before the announcement was made?