Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia—Minister for Defence) (14:30): I sincerely thank Senator Kitching for that question. That is for two reasons: one is because it allows me to answer your question that I took on notice yesterday and the other is also to add some more information in terms of your question today. Coming to the question from yesterday: as you know, an authorisation line is required on material produced by a member or senator under Australian law. Any multimedia material created with reference to ADF assistance to the bushfire response was designed to inform the community about what the Commonwealth government was doing. The purpose of the material was also to communicate as simply and as helpfully as we possibly could— The PRESIDENT: Order? Senator Watt on a point of order. Senator Watt: It's on relevance. I don't know if we're in a time machine, but this was yesterday's question. We'd actually like an answer to today's question—a completely different question. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: I am happy to rule on the point of order, if there is silence. Senator Cormann, on that ruling? Senator Cormann: On the point of order, Mr President. The senator actually directly referenced the question that was asked yesterday in her question today. I would have thought that the way the minister is answering is absolutely directly relevant to the question as asked. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong on the point of order. Senator Polley interjecting— The PRESIDENT: I will take Senator Wong's point of order and then I'll rule on it. Senator Wong: Mr President, if the minister wishes to add to an answer from yesterday because her answer was incomplete then the usual convention is to do so after question time. The PRESIDENT: So, on the point of order: the question did reference yesterday's question. The minister is about to be directly relevant by referencing yesterday's question. However, there is a more appropriate time to explicitly add to answers in yesterday's question time, which is usually at the conclusion of question time. I am listening carefully to the minister's answer and I call upon her to continue. She has 1½ minutes remaining. Senator REYNOLDS: Further to your question yesterday, as we've just discussed, and also directly relevant to this question today, Defence was not tasked to provide any imagery or footage for the material. There is a significant amount of footage of ADF activity in the public domain. Conveniently, when I was researching this issue yesterday I found some social media from the Australian Labor Party, authorised by Mr Wright. And, guess what? It shows ADF troops. So answer me the question about where you got this material from? The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong on a point of order. I'm going to allow— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong: That's the best you can do; you're a minister of the Crown and that's the best you can do? Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order, everywhere! I don't spontaneously draw ministers to the standing orders, so I call upon a point of order rather than assuming—yes. On this question, it is relevant for the minister to talk about footage and the footage used in the advertisement referred to. I don't believe it is directly relevant to refer to something of another party that may or may not have been at a very different time. There are opportunities to debate the merits of questions and answers after question time, and there are other opportunities to bring such matters to the attention of the Senate. Senator Reynolds. Senator REYNOLDS: Mr President, I've answered the question. Defence was not tasked to provide any imagery or footage of that material that she referenced. The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong on a point of order. Senator Wong: It's on direct relevance. Senator Kitching's question went to the question of why the Liberal Party's footage breached the defence department's policy. It was not a question about whether the defence department tasked the footage, which is the way the minister construed the question. The PRESIDENT: I think—I will let Senator Cormann speak. Senator Cormann: Minister Reynolds is able to answer questions in relation to her portfolio. Minister Reynolds is not in a position to answer questions on behalf of the Liberal Party. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! I will rule on the point of order. With respect, Senator Wong, for that last part of the question, you did accurately reflect what Senator Kitching said. However, I do believe that if the minister is directly addressing issues around the footage or how it was obtained, I do, with respect, think that is a matter that is directly relevant. I can't instruct her how to answer the question. I remind senators that there is an opportunity to debate the merit of answers afterwards. Senator REYNOLDS: Just for total clarity, Mr President, I did directly answer the question when I said that Defence was not tasked to provide any imagery or footage of the material, and there is a significant amount of footage of ADF activity in the public domain, which I pointed out that the Labor Party has also accessed over the years. So I could not be clearer. The PRESIDENT: Senator Kitching, a supplementary question?