Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In starting question time, I want to address a matter that arose yesterday. I undertook to review the Hansard in relation to a point of order raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, and come back to the Senate. In looking at this matter, I have also taken the opportunity to review the rulings and commentary of my predecessor on glancing references and comments made by ministers to other parties and their policies. For instance, on 10 December 2020, President Ryan said:

… I have ruled previously that a glancing phrase in an answer is not going to make someone not directly relevant. An answer that consisted of attacking the opposition or outlining their policy would not be directly relevant.

On 4 February this year, he said:

The question contained a number of loaded political phrases. The minister was, I would imagine, making a glancing observation and is entitled to some very wide latitude to address the terms, assertions and imputations in the question.

In other words, there is wider latitude for political responses to politically loaded questions. This is consistent with the ruling of earlier presidents. On this basis, I do not think it was unreasonable to allow the minister to begin her answer the way she did. However, having reviewed the Hansard, I allowed the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate to bring the minister back to the question. That is something I should have done myself. We'll now go to questions.