Ms MACKLIN (2:13 PM) —My question again is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Minister, yesterday you advised the House—and you said it again just now—that you and your office first found out about the $27 million grant from the US National Institute of Health on the morning of 28 June last year. Is it not the case that your department was advised of the confirmation of this grant by email on 7 June and that a consultant worked with your office to organise the launch and prepare joint press releases well in advance of the announcement date of 28 June? Minister, will you now give a full explanation of what you and your office knew about the grant, when you and your office knew about it and who you and your office told? Will you table all the correspondence received by your office about this grant?

Dr WOOLDRIDGE (Minister for Health and Aged Care) —The Labor Party, as normal, tries to twist what has been said. In fact, if you look at the question yesterday, the question to me was very specific: when did I know about the consortium. I stated the facts very clearly. I knew about the consortium on the morning it was announced. I did not know anything about the company involved. I have had nothing to do with them before and nothing to do with them since. I was aware there was a negotiation going on but I did not know the nature of that negotiation. I did not know a consortium was involved.

Mr SPEAKER —The Leader of the Opposition! The minister is responding to the question.

Dr WOOLDRIDGE —And that the grant had been awarded to a consortium I found out when the NIH made their announcement.