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

I did think that the second point that Senator Brandis raised in relation to the obligation to import skated very close to calling your judgment, your decision, into account. But what the ruling does do—and what you are entitled to do, I humbly submit—is indicate whether or not the particular minister is responding to the question. My understanding of the response you have provided is that it does, in fact, do that. It is not a question of ruling whether the minister has indicated yes or no to the particular question; it is about whether the minister is being directly relevant to the question in his answer. The answer does not call in to question whether the minister has responded yes or no. To be directly relevant to the question, the minister—