Procurement under Steel a sinking ship

The Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Peter Cain, has called out the Special Minister of State, Chris Steel, on yet another scathing report on procurement tabled today by the ACT Auditor-General.

In the wake of the wasted $76 million that saw 23 contractors rake in $44.5 million for a since-abandoned HRIMS project, Mr Cain has concluded the Minister’s incompetence has passed a tipping point.

“The ACT Auditor-General has now tabled six reports detailing Steel and the Labor-Greens’ mishandling of procurement in the ACT,” Mr Cain said.

“I have been advised that the ACT Auditor-General will be publishing two more reports this year, with procurement likely ‘a feature of other audits’ as well.”

“This is becoming parody.”

“The Government Procurement Board, that oversaw an estimated $10.925 billion in procurement from 2017 to 2022, was found to be ‘unassertive’ and ‘confusing’.”

“The report tabled today examined three major procurement case studies and concluded that the Board is ‘not optimally effective or efficient in fulfilling its functions.’”

“The Minister, who directly appoints Board members and writes the policy that informs the Board’s function, is wholly responsible for contracts that have egregiously wasted taxpayer money.”

“Procurement is vitally important to the fiscal wellbeing of the Territory. Getting it right is the first step on a path towards surplus.”

“With hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars already lost in contracts that do not follow procedure under this Minister, it is clear we are sailing a ship destined to sink,” Mr Cain concluded.