Page 1081 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 May 2020
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procurement contracts or even supply products to the ACT government or government agencies during the COVID-19 crisis and before. Why is it acceptable for a Victorian-operated company to be providing hand sanitiser to ACT government agencies at a price that is 25 per cent higher, excluding freight, than what has been offered by a Canberra-owned and operated business employing Canberrans?
MR RAMSAY: Noting that the responsibility in terms of procurement matters sits with Minister Orr, not me, I will take that question on notice.
MR WALL: Minister, as this is an ongoing situation, particularly given the impacts on many locally owned and operated businesses during the COVID crisis, what is your government doing to ensure that local businesses can compete for current opportunities to supply the ACT government on a local-first basis?
MR RAMSAY: Again I will take that question on notice, given that it is not my responsibility.
MR PARTON: Minister, why does your government continue to ignore the benefits of the ACT government buying local and supporting locally grown and operated businesses?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Barr, you are taking this?
MR BARR: I will take this and point out to Mr Parton that the ACT government has for some time now had a local procurement policy that does provide a positive weighting towards local SMEs, as defined, within the Canberra region. Of course we are subject to various commonwealth agreements and international trade agreements that require there to be a level playing field in relation to procurement. But on this specific issue of hand sanitiser we will investigate the particular question and the procurement in question.
I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Papers
Madam Speaker presented the following papers:
Inspector of Correctional Services Act, pursuant to subsection 30(2)—Report of a Review of a Critical Incident by the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services—Assault of a detainee at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on—
5 December 2019 (CIR 03/19), dated 15 April 2020.
13 January 2020 (CIR 01/20), dated 15 April 2020.
Standing order 191—Amendments to:
COVID-19 Emergency Response Legislation Amendment Bill 2020, dated 11 May 2020.
Human Rights (Workers Rights) Amendment Bill 2019, dated 11 May 2020.
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