Forestry Industry

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): Can the minister guarantee the council that this government has had no discussions with the shadow minister Joel Fitzgibbon about withholding funding until after the federal election?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:24): I guarantee that I will refer those questions to the appropriate minister, and I am prepared to aid the honourable member's misunderstanding of how government works. I am happy to sit down with him, I am very happy to sit down with him and talk about portfolio responsibilities and how they work to give him a bit of an idea, because I know he has had no ministerial experience, and may well not. I do sympathise, and the rumours are that many people—

The PRESIDENT: Okay, the minister can now sit down. You've given your answer. Lovely to see you again, the Hon. Ms Lensink.