Page 3779 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 8 November 1994
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MR CORNWELL: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I accept the Chief Minister's assurances on this. I am not sure that I accept the Prime Minister's assurances. Therefore, I ask: Will you, Chief Minister, assure the ACT community and this Assembly that you will settle for nothing less than $45m worth of compensation from the Commonwealth for surrender of the site, either in cash or, as you suggested, in kind?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, clearly, as I have indicated, this is a matter for negotiation. Mr Cornwell knows the basis on which I made those earlier statements. I stand by them; they are perfectly legitimate statements. In seeking to get compensation for the Territory, I most certainly will have those figures in mind. But I repeat that this will have to be a negotiated settlement. At this stage we are at a very preliminary position in regard to those negotiations. I believe, Madam Speaker, that, having had those figures out in the open, it certainly gives an indication of the kind of compensation I will be looking for.
Government Purchasing Policy
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Urban Services. I ask: Can the Minister inform the Assembly about the recently implemented purchasing policy and how it will benefit Canberra businesses?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for the question, Madam Speaker. The ACT Government's purchasing policy was released by the Chief Minister in late September and will commence from 1 January 1995. The supply and tender information system called BASIS - buyers and sellers information system - was also launched in late September.
Mr Humphries: Did you say "baseless"?
MR LAMONT: I can understand why the fools opposite would be somewhat jocular about a matter which seeks to sustain and substantiate business in the Territory. Madam Speaker, the purchasing policy focuses on improving the opportunities for Canberra region firms to compete for government business, while maintaining the principles of value for money and open and effective competition. In the case of major contracts, there will be a requirement for potential suppliers to indicate how they will use that order to expand local industry. A quality assurance policy is to apply from 1 July 1995 for critical items above $50,000.
The purchasing policy requires government purchasing officers to obtain quotations from potential Canberra region suppliers for all of their requirements. The threshold guideline for calling quotations for general goods and services has been reduced from $5,000 to $2,000. Madam Speaker, in the short time that BASIS has been operating since the policy was launched, the Government has connected over 800 regional firms and agencies to BASIS. It is currently being used to source Canberra region suppliers' products and services, as well as to provide information to those suppliers and service agents as to purchasing requirements of the ACT Government into the future.
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