Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia—Minister for Defence) (14:11): I thank Senator Urquhart for that question. As senators know, in the last sitting period I did make a statement to the Senate in response to a question I took on notice from Senator Lambie regarding the matter of Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean. Since then the Prime Minister has made a public statement which I endorsed along with longstanding advice from the Chief of the Defence Force which has also been made publicly. We appreciate that there is a view by some in this place and by others in Tasmania and across Australia that Teddy Sheean didn't receive the recognition he deserved. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong on a point of order? Senator Wong: Can I just indicate that, if the minister wishes leave to fully explain her misleading of the Senate, we will give her leave at the appropriate time immediately after question time, but this is not a question about the mislead per se. This is a question asking the minister to confirm what Mr Sullivan's letter said. It goes to the subject matter of the mislead, not the process, and I would ask the minister to be directly relevant to that issue. The PRESIDENT: On the point of order, I take the point by Senator Wong that the quotation was in reference to whether it was contained in a document that the question asked that the minister received. However, given it was a long quotation, I'm going to give the minister some discretion to address that. But I do remind her of the first part of the very specific question, which asked about receipt of a document. Senator REYNOLDS: Thank you very much. Had I been allowed to continue, I would have advised that I did come back to the Senate and clarify that statement. I clarified it, it was not misleading the Senate and I've already addressed that here in this place. However, if Senator Wong would allow me to continue, I have some news for the Senate on this matter. Overturning a decision relating to a Victoria Cross nearly 80 years after Sheean's heroic actions needs compelling reasons. This is why the government's view and clear policy is that consideration of the awarding of a retrospective Victoria Cross would only occur in light of compelling new evidence or if there was evidence of significant maladministration. Given there are different views on whether there is compelling new evidence about Sheean's actions in 1942, the Prime Minister has today commissioned an expert panel to provide him with advice as to whether the 2019 review by the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal has, indeed, any new evidence not available to the previous reviews or otherwise available and if that evidence is compelling enough to support a recommendation by the government that Sheean's mention in dispatches be replaced by a Victoria Cross. The PRESIDENT: Senator Urquhart, a supplementary question?