MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:05:39): I am aware of the comments made by the shadow minister, Tanya Plibersek, in relation to the underspend. It is very disappointing that that money was not spent in a way that was more targeted in areas where there are government priorities, like what we have done here in Victoria with free TAFE where we have seen that there is a real connection between what you deliver and a job at the end of it, whether it be in certificate II and people going onto an apprenticeship or whether you do certificate III and certificate IV. We have got a funnel of skilled workers coming out of TAFEs and going into jobs. That should be the priority, I believe, for all training schemes and systems in this country. It is one that is working effectively here in Victoria. I am really pleased to say that the Victorians in this state are absolutely grabbing the opportunity of TAFE—TAFE provision and free TAFE—with both hands. If you want to talk about mean or incompetent, you only have to look at the previous government—2400 teachers sacked—and talk about all the courses that were absolutely demolished, talk about the closure of 22 campuses that those over the other side of the table inflicted on the Victorian community. This is a government in Victoria that believes in making sure that we have direct—
Ms Wooldridge: On a point of order, President, I have given the minister plenty of time and she has been debating the question. I do ask with just a minute left to go that you bring the minister back to answering the question in relation to the underspend and the performance in relation to it, whether they are mean or incompetent for not having spent that money.
Ms Shing: On the point of order, President, Ms Wooldridge has been hoisted with her own petard with this question, because the question itself was, as I recall, ‘Are you mean or incompetent?’. So the minister has been answering; you just do not happen to like the answer.
The PRESIDENT: I do not uphold the point of order. I think the minister has been relevant to the question and the preamble.
Ms TIERNEY: I have answered the question.
