Here's what you missed on the third day of Senate estimates

Here are some of the biggest (and spiciest) moments from Wednesday's hearings.

An interesting exchange took place between Liberal senator Sarah Henderson and Department of Infrastructure secretary Jim Betts.

Ms Henderson noted that Mr Betts wasn't wearing a tie to estimates, and asked if there was a dress code in the department.

Mr Betts replied: "No ... I ask people to use their skill and judgement".

A few minutes later, Senator Henderson brought up the fact that Mr Betts had worn a T-shirt to a supply chain summit in Brisbane.

Technically, this is from Tuesday night's estimates but there's a lot on this week, so bear with us as we catch up.

During Tuesday night's Human Rights Commission appearance, president Rosalind Croucher was asked about whether she spoke to Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay before her anti-Voice opinion piece appeared in a newspaper.

Ms Finlay, who was appointed to the role by the former Coalition government in November 2021, wrote in an opinion piece published in The Australian that the Voice would "insert race into the Australian constitution in a way that undermines the foundational human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination".

"Commissioner Finlay shared a draft, I provided some feedback, so we had a number of engagements in relation to the issue," she said.

"And yes, so did she speak with me? Yes. And we did so very respectfully."

Greens senator David Shoebridge has been pursuing the Attorney-General's Department over the level funding being provided to the Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Senator Shoebridge says both organisations are facing a massive funding cliff under current arrangements, with big implications for the services they provide, the future of their staff and employee morale.

Officials from the Attorney-General's Department have confirmed that former attorney-deneral Christian Porter had access to "confidential and privileged" information about, and took decisions relating to, a $300 billion damages claim being launched against the government by Clive Palmer.

AGD assistant secretary Jesse Clarke told the Senate legal and constitutional affairs legislation committee that the department reviewed the information Mr Porter had access to while attorney-general after media reports that he had been hired by Mr Palmer as part of the legal team advising on a dispute launched by his Singapore-based company Zeph Investments against the Commonwealth.

Labor has used Senate rstimates to highlight a meeting between Liberal senator Michaelia Cash and the controversial Men's Rights Agency (MRA) days before a parliamentary vote on family law changes.

Labor senator Linda White raised the meeting between Senator Cash and MRA director Sue Price in early May in a series of questions to Attorney-General's Department officials about the organisation.

In particular, Senator White noted how the meeting preceded the opposition's vote against the government's Family Law Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives.

ABC managing director David Anderson has told Senate estimates that he is worried about the broadcaster's First Nations staff in the lead up to the referendum, having witnessed the backlash presenter Stan Grant has recently received.

"I am at this point quite worried. I am worried about Stan. But I'm also worried about our other staff. I'm worried about our First Nations' staff as we head towards a referendum on the Voice to make sure they are sufficiently protected," he said.

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