Skills for All

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:46): Mr President, my question to the minister following on from her answer is: yesterday, the minister was asked whether bridging units were noncompliant, and have RTOs been asked to repay the money? I asked the minister: did she not know the answer to that question yesterday? Were they noncompliant, and had they been asked to repay the money? There is no detail in that question: it is a simple yes or no.

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) (14:46): I answered the question. I only had partial information yesterday—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You didn't have anything; you were asked—

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I was asked a series of detailed questions—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: How incompetent are you? What is there between those two ears?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —that I did not have detailed responses for, and I have brought them today, Mr President—

The PRESIDENT: Sit down, minister. Hon. Mr Lucas, if I remember rightly, the minister, in answer to your question, said that she would get a detailed response to that, and this is what she has done. It is not about incompetence or whatever; the minister has come to this chamber now with a detailed response. The Hon. Mr Wade.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order in the house! The Hon. Mr Wade has the floor.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The minister and the Hon. Mr Lucas will allow the Hon. Mr Wade to ask his question.