The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: We have heard a lot of talk about the business case for this merger. My question to the minister is: who wrote the business case?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am advised that it was written between the university and external advisers.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Who were the external advisers? I will advise that I did ask these questions in the committee, and I did not receive answers there, so I am asking them again now.
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for her question. The universities, as I said, between them authored it with external advice. I do not have information about who that external advice was from. That would be up to the universities to answer, should they wish to at some stage.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: With regard to the lack of clarity on who these external advisers or consultants were, what efforts were made within cabinet to ensure that there was no conflict of interest when the decision was made to enact this legislation through cabinet and make those decisions there?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is that the government had no part in putting together the business case, so I am not sure about a conflict for government. It is difficult to see how that would be present for government.