George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

On the point of order, there is a plain distinction between referring to copious notes and reading verbatim. It is as plain as it can be to you, Mr President, with respect, as it is to everyone in the Senate, that Senator Conroy has been reading verbatim from his laptop screen. It is a point of order seldom taken because it is regarded as an insult to another senator to suggest, as appears to be the case with Senator Conroy, that he is incapable of addressing the chamber without reading verbatim.