Skills for All

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:44): Mr President, if the minister now concedes that she was briefed prior to yesterday in relation to this $1.9 million, why did she indicate variously yesterday that she did not know the details, she did not have any information, and this was an operational issue for TAFE to handle?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:45): I did no such thing, sir; no such thing at all. Mr President—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: I just read it out—

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Mr President, what I said yesterday—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: —'I don't have that level of detail.'

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Lucas, let the minister answer.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —was that I did not have that level of detail. I never said—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You didn't have anything!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: You come into this place and you just say things that are wrong—that are blatantly incorrect.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: No, I didn't; you're not telling the truth.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The Hon. Rob Lucas comes into this place day after day—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You are not telling the truth!

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down, please. We do not want a debate across the floor. The minister is giving an answer. You might not like the answer, but that is her answer. Minister.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: She's not telling the truth.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Suck it in. You are squealing like a stuck pig; that's what he's doing.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, please keep your colourful language down also.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you, Mr President. Again, he comes into this place and just says incorrect things. I never said I did not have any information; what I said is I did not have detailed information to answer the questions that were asked of me. And, as you can see from the response I have given today, there is a great deal of detail there of specific figures and specific processes. I had some information but felt that it was inadequate information to answer the level of detail that was asked by the Hon. Rob Lucas.