All morning opposition and crossbench senators were banging their heads against committee room desks.
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The opening day of a Senate estimates marathon is always combative but Monday was particularly brutal.
All morning senators pushed department officials and ministers representing the government to provide answers on the barrage of hot topics dominating headlines this week.
Climate policy, a former minister's blind trust and Parliament House staff's response to a concerning rape allegation earlier this year were the focus of tough questioning.
But it wasn't Labor senator Penny Wong's pointed interrogation that stole the limelight on Monday.
Instead it was a wink, or something that convincingly looked like one.
During questioning by Greens senator Larissa Waters over what Prime Minister and Cabinet officials knew of former attorney-general Christian Porter's anonymous legal bill donor, a public servant glanced right and appeared to wink in the direction of a government minister.
Department deputy secretary Stephanie Foster was behind the faux pas.
But when asked by Senator Wong a short while later to explain why she did it, Ms Foster said the apparent wink was not what at all what it seemed.
"I can say without looking at [the footage] that I have at no stage intentionally winked at Senator Birmingham," she said.
"So it's either capturing me with an eye closing or some other reason.
"I can say, categorically, I have at no stage intentionally winked."
By the end of the day, a few short hours later, Ms Foster said she had since seen the footage and conceded it was a wink.
But its intended recipient wasn't Senator Birmingham.
She said she was simply acknowledging and assuring a colleague who had just come to the table to assist with questioning.
Like all things public service and politics, nothing is what it seems.
Or is it?
The Canberra Times will be providing you daily updates on Senate estimates high- and lowlights this week on our blog.
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