Page 1589 - Week 05 - Thursday, 5 May 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
In an op ed in the Canberra Times the chair of the Master Builders said:
The next huge issue for Canberra taxpayers is light rail and the impact the ACT government’s MOU with UnionsACT has had on Canberra’s largest ever construction contract. We know that the shortlisted consortia were provided with a copy of the MOU and told that it was current government policy. We understand that both consortia raised eyebrows, if not formal objections. There could be no clearer message that the winning tenderer will require union support.
That is the sentiment within the construction industry in the ACT at the moment. I think it is appropriate, it is prudent and it is the only step forward that further consideration, further scrutiny be applied to this government decision.
Those opposite continue to claim that it has been public for quite some time, but it has not. There was a very vague mention of an agreement with the unions back in 2009. There was no further discussion of it. There was no publication of the document, to the extent that even ministers in cabinet were unaware of the existence of this document until it was made public earlier this year.
I would urge all members of this place to find it within themselves to open themselves up to scrutiny. If there is nothing to hide then there is no reason why this committee should not go ahead. There is a long and proud history that this Assembly has had since self-government of initiating select committees into a broad range of inquiries.
Just this term we have had an inquiry into regional development and also into the Electoral Act, but in the past select committees have looked at supermarket policy, campaign advertising, working families, public housing, workers compensation, territory superannuation, government procurement policy, competition policy, petrol pricing and the establishment of a private hospital, just to name a few.
I would commend to the Assembly my motion that seeks to establish this committee. I understand that it is a busy time for everyone in the Assembly with estimates being on the horizon and the dissolution of this parliament come August for the pending October election. But I think everyone can find the resources—I am only calling for one member from each party to be involved in this committee hearing—to properly analyse the extent to which this agreement has had any impact or any influence on procurement decisions in the ACT.
This goes more broadly to any of the political arguments about these issues, and it goes to instilling confidence back into the procurement process in the ACT. It means business has confidence to do business with this city. It means business has got confidence to put their best foot forward and know that what they supply confidentially in their tender proposal, their intellectual property, their commercial-in-confidence, stays with government and is not shared with a third party outside government.
I think that is a very proper thing to do. Confidence needs to be maintained in the processes in which business procures services and goods. With that, I commend this motion to the Assembly.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video