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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 475 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

the Chief Executive of the Bureau of Sport, Recreation and Racing, and

the person who was Chairman of the Tender Assessment Panel and Manager of Facilities for the Bureau.

One of the crucial aspects of tender processes in relation to government activities is complete independence. For the community to have confidence that independence has been achieved, officers should at all times maintain the appearance of independence.

Minister, while it may be appropriate for former employees to tender, do you believe it was a fair process? That is my question, Minister - nothing else that is in front of you in your briefings. Do you believe it was a fair process when the referees for the successful tenderer were either involved in or close to that process?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Wood, I do not think you will find anything in there which indicates that, in terms of that pool, it was anything other than a fair process. The Auditor-General quite clearly says he has some problems with the Erindale Centre; but in relation to the other four pools, including Dickson, he feels it was a very fair process. He comments in other parts of the report on the make-up of the tender panel, which included a representative from ACT Swimming. I hear what you say. I have read that part of the report. Again, Mr Speaker, I think it is perhaps a little like the SES officer situation. Perhaps that is something that, taken at its strictest, could have been done better, but I do not think anyone is implying anything against Mr Nielsen, the general manager, who sat in on the tender process; nor would they necessarily imply anything if it had been Mr Owens, the SES officer. It is six of one and half-a-dozen of the other; what you lose on the roundabouts you pick up on the swings. He was an SES officer and he was given as a referee by these people. I would indicate - and it is probably borne out in the documents - that the successful tenderer for Dickson also put in for the Civic pool. It did not get that; somebody else did.

There is nothing in there and nothing in what the Auditor-General says that indicates that that process was other than very fair and properly done. However, he does indicate one technical problem in terms of the Dickson pool and in terms of one of the people on the panel being given as a referee. That is certainly something that the Government has noted, but I do stress that the Auditor-General is at pains to indicate, certainly in relation to the four pools, including Dickson, that it was a very fair process. In fact, he commends the make-up of the tender panel.

Mr Wood: Mr Speaker, the Minister's and the Government's revealed attitude both to the tendering process and to the Auditor-General causes us much alarm.

MR SPEAKER: Is that a question or a statement?

Mr Wood: It is a statement.

Mrs Carnell: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

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