Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

As I understand your point of order, Senator Bernardi, it would be entirely in order for a minister to say they are not aware of the statements being put to them in a question. And that is the way to deal with a statement the minister is not aware of that is put to a minister in a question.

I will finally conclude on this other paragraph in Odgers':

It would be an undue restriction on the freedom of the Senate to debate matters of public interest if debate were to be restrained simply on the basis that matters may come before a court in the future.

That is a direct quote from Odgers' in a similar section.