It's the policy that Christopher Pyne introduced as education minister and is still on the books - but now he doesn't know if it's government policy or not.
Besides, since he's now industry minister, he's no longer responsible for those cuts to research and development tax breaks anyway.
That's what Mr Pyne said on Monday when the $900 million cut came under scrutiny.
The measure was included in the 2014 budget but has been stuck in the Senate ever since.
"There has been absolutely no change to the R&D tax incentives whatsoever," Mr Pyne merrily told the National Press Club in Canberra.
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He conceded there was "a very small likelihood" of it ever passing - but wouldn't say whether that meant the government had dumped it.
He was asked directly five times whether the cuts remained coalition policy.
"I am not going to get distracted by this three-year-old measure in the budget that hasn't passed the Senate," Mr Pyne said.
"I have made the position perfectly clear on the matter."
Labor's higher education and industry spokesman Kim Carr declared the opposition had been totally up front about its plans on the matter.
It will wait for a government review of the R&D incentives and then find some other savings worth $900 million by "refocusing" tax concessions, but not the same measure.
All clear?
