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

Mr President, on the point of order: clearly, we have now got to a position where Senator Evans has asked you to rule on the issue, and I encourage that course of action, if I may, with respect. We do have the second issue, though, which I would also ask you to look at, which relates to the relevance of the supplementary—that is, the final supplementary—to the question itself. Senator Evans has asked in relation to the issue that revolves around cross-portfolio matters, but there is also the additional matter about the relevance of the second supplementary question to the primary question, because the rules in relation to relevance have not changed with respect to supplementary questions under the new system.