Some of us might check our Facebook pages, scan emails, see if we've been double tapped on Instagram or perhaps sneak in a quick game of Solitaire or Angry Birds. But not the Australian Attorney-General George Brandis.
Faced with boredom after a tedious day in Senate estimates, the self-described "Minister for Books" delved into a volume of Australian bush poetry during a Wednesday evening hearing of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, according to footage viewed by Fairfax Media.
To be fair, at the time Senator Brandis picked up the book, the senate proceeding was boring him and the discussions were not too interesting. The Attorney-General, clearly in camera shot, channelled his inner Bob Carr, reached for a copy of Our Country, reclined in his seat and proceeded to read for the next 30 minutes.
And who says men can't multi-task?
Asked to explain his decision to read during the hearing, Senator Brandis told Fairfax Media: "I find it very easy to read and listen to Senate estimates at the same time."
And in case you're still wondering whether his mind was properly on the job, Senator Brandis insisted "all questions directed to me were answered in full".
Our Country is a collection of classic Australian poetry "from the colonial ballads to Patterson and Lawson".
It is likely one of hundreds of books found inside Senator Brandis' sizeable Parliament House bookshelf. It was revealed that Australians tax payers were billed a lot of money to build a custom-built bookshelf for his office, and also over four years for books and magazines for the senator. He has previously been unapologetic about asking taxpayers to fund his love of literature. After all, he argues, he is also the Minister for Arts.
George Henry Brandis is the 36th Attorney-General for Australia and has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland since May 2000.