Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: the minister has been responsive. The issue that has been raised is whether the minister is relevant to the question asked. I submit that the minister has been relevant to the question that has been asked. As to the remaining part of the issue that Senator Macdonald raises about other matters, it seems to me he has stretched a long way further than what he may permissibly do in respect of raising an issue of relevance. Be that as it may, Senator Macdonald has been in this place long enough to understand that he can raise an issue of relevance in question time. That is his right. As to the other matters, I think Senator Macdonald has stretched far and wide in respect of the relevance issue. He should confine his remarks to the issue around relevance itself, if he wants to raise a point of order, and address his remarks to that. But I submit there is no point of order.