DOCUMENTS

Senator PAYMAN (Western Australia—Australia's Voice Whip) (15:54): by leave— I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that, in response to a question on notice with portfolio question number SQ26-000696, asked during the 2026-27 Budget estimates and relating to the United States Department of State's planned 'freedom.gov' service, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner responded to 3 parts of the question by stating 'As the service is not operational the question is hypothetical and falls within the ambit of Senate standing order 73'; (b) the Senate affirms that: (i) standing order 73 does not apply to Senate estimates, (ii) there is no rule against the asking of hypothetical questions during Senate estimates, and (iii) the only relevant rule is the standard test of relevance; and (c) there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, by no later than 5 pm on Thursday, 24 September 2026: (i) a new response to the question which does not refer to irrelevant standing orders of the Senate, and (ii) copies of all correspondence between the Minister for Communications or her office, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner in relation to the preparation of the original response to the question, including draft responses.

Question agreed to.