Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, with respect, I don't agree with that particular interpretation to require it to be directly relevant. I'll read something I have pulled out from the past, which is a ruling by Senator Beahan, as President, when he referred to President Baker.

Senator Wong interjecting—

It is. Senator Wong, I'm going to that. He ruled:

… relevance means relevance to the subject matter under consideration. A speech, amendment or answer is relevant to a motion, bill or question if it deals with the same subject matter. Thus, if a question concerns the state of the economy, a minister's answer is relevant if it refers to the state of the economy.

The insertion of the word 'directly' narrowed that interpretation, so it is not as broad as was ruled in that case, but the ruling goes on to say:

… there is a tendency to confuse relevance and responsiveness. An answer can be relevant to a question—that is, it can deal with the same subject matter—without necessarily being responsive to the question.

I'm listening very carefully to Senator Scullion, and I do not believe that the minister, in the first 22 seconds of an answer outlining how many people do receive care, is not directly relevant to a question asking about how many do not receive care. But I am listening very carefully to the minister's answer. Senator Wong.