[1] The term can be used in a mildly derogatory sense, but in common usage today is simply pre-arranged questions from a friendly audience member.
This enables the responding Minister to launch into extended criticism of the Opposition and their policy on the question's subject matter, which may include a pre-planned speech intended as a character assassination of an opposition member, while still remaining technically relevant to the question as asked as Standing orders require.
These questions or the answers to them are often based upon, refer to, or build upon, party line propaganda written earlier in the day by ideologically friendly members of the news media.
The term references American advice columnist Dorothy Dix's reputed practice of making up her own questions to allow her to publish more interesting answers.
[3][4][5] In his book An Introduction to Australian Politics, Dean Jaensch observes:[6] A growing number of questions are of the 'Dorothy-Dix' type (from the government backbench) and attempts to win political points (from both sides of the house).Similarly, Don Aitkin and Brian Jinks observe in their book Australian Political Institutions:[7] It is common practice for a minister to have a government backbencher ask a pre-arranged question which can be answered in such a way as to praise the government or exploit a weakness in the Opposition.