Derryn Hinch has admitted to catching some shut eye on his first day in parliament but still backs easing strict still photography rules in the Senate.
"I'm guilty as charged," the new senator told radio 3AW, adding that he dozed off for a couple of seconds during the governor-general's ceremonial address on Tuesday.
Liberal senator Eric Abetz said he was not fussed one way or the other about photographers but said the former broadcaster was still in a media mindset compared to a political one and it would be interesting to see how that developed over time.
Senator Hinch later tweeted a photo of himself with wide-open eyes in the Senate chamber on Wednesday morning.
"Taken the NoDoze. 1st person into empty Senate today. No cameras. Bugger," he wrote.
Labor leader in the Senate Penny Wong isn't concerned about changes to photography rules.
"I've got plenty of bad photos out there on the internet so, I'm not so worried," she told reporters in Canberra.
