It was an awkward moment missed by most in an evening sitting of Senate estimates on October 8.

Independent Senator Fatima Payman was grilling the Border Force Commissioner about the arrival at Australian ports of tankers carrying refined fuel products from India. She wanted to know if their cargoes had originated as crude oil in Russia before being refined and sent on to Australia - effectively getting around sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.

What followed was torturous three-and-a-half minutes of Yes, Minister -style obfuscation. Not our responsibility, said the Border Force Commissioner. Sanctions management is the responsibility of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. There has been no referral from DFAT to investigate whether refined Russian crude was making

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