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

Mr President, on a point of order: the question, as I heard it, was that the minister was being asked to advise the Senate about the attitude of the previous government to a particular matter. That was it. That was the only topic of the question. Now, it is not conceivable that the minister’s view of the view of a previous government on a particular matter could be a matter arising within that minister’s portfolio, since the previous government has expired. Senator Sherry has no jurisdiction in relation to matters dealt with by the previous government.