❓ A parliamentary question accuses the Treasurer of misleading statements regarding the tender process for stage 2 of a regional mobile communications project, specifically involving Telstra. The Treasurer denies intentional misrepresentation and clarifies his understanding of the process.
AnsweredQoN 374Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TREASURER — TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXPANSION
374. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's
answer to questions 205 and 206 on 24 March 2015 in respect of his announcement
of May 2014 regarding stage 2 of the regional mobile communications project,
when he claimed —
Telstra won a competitive bid to build
the towers, �
(1) Why did the Treasurer make this claim when it is not
true?
(2) Did the
Treasurer ask his personal staff to call journalists on the afternoon of 24
March 2015 to falsely claim that there was a competitive tender process in
respect of stage 2 of that project when that is not true?
(3) Why has
the Treasurer not corrected the record, as he is required to, when there were
no tenders issued for stage 2 of the regional mobile communications project?
374. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's
answer to questions 205 and 206 on 24 March 2015 in respect of his announcement
of May 2014 regarding stage 2 of the regional mobile communications project,
when he claimed —
Telstra won a competitive bid to build
the towers, �
(1) Why did the Treasurer make this claim when it is not
true?
(2) Did the
Treasurer ask his personal staff to call journalists on the afternoon of 24
March 2015 to falsely claim that there was a competitive tender process in
respect of stage 2 of that project when that is not true?
(3) Why has
the Treasurer not corrected the record, as he is required to, when there were
no tenders issued for stage 2 of the regional mobile communications project?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
My understanding was, to put that into context, that there was a stage 2
decided by cabinet to have, I think, the Department of Commerce to go out to
issue a tender for stage 2 of the towers. I was not involved in that, and nor
was I informed of the process involved. I was told there was going to be a tender
to stage 2 —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So you were informed?
Dr M.D. NAHAN : Just let me finish.
I was told there was to be a tender for stage 2, as there was
for stage 1. I did not instruct my staff to go, as claimed or indicated by the
member, and explain this in any way. As I subsequently found out, they did go
to tender, but Telstra had a right, I think—the details of which I am
not fully aware—to get the second tender to build the towers. Now,
whether it had a right to build it or a right to have a first call on the
tender, I do not know the details. But all I know is that the decision of
government was to go to build a second stage of those and to put it out to
tender, and that Telstra acquired that tender. That is what I know and that is
what we said.
My understanding was, to put that into context, that there was a stage 2
decided by cabinet to have, I think, the Department of Commerce to go out to
issue a tender for stage 2 of the towers. I was not involved in that, and nor
was I informed of the process involved. I was told there was going to be a tender
to stage 2 —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So you were informed?
Dr M.D. NAHAN : Just let me finish.
I was told there was to be a tender for stage 2, as there was
for stage 1. I did not instruct my staff to go, as claimed or indicated by the
member, and explain this in any way. As I subsequently found out, they did go
to tender, but Telstra had a right, I think—the details of which I am
not fully aware—to get the second tender to build the towers. Now,
whether it had a right to build it or a right to have a first call on the
tender, I do not know the details. But all I know is that the decision of
government was to go to build a second stage of those and to put it out to
tender, and that Telstra acquired that tender. That is what I know and that is
what we said.
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