Shadow Minister Ripper questions Premier Barnett about transparency regarding Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and railcar contracts, demanding the tabling of related documents. The Premier refuses, promising a report on local content instead and highlighting issues with contractors offshoring work.

AnsweredQoN 89Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 March 2011
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

RESOURCES SECTOR — LOCAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
I have a supplementary question. Since the Premier has completely failed to answer my detailed questions on Fortescue Metals Group and the railcars, will he now commit to table all reports and correspondence between himself or his department and FMG on this matter? Mr C.J. BARNETT

AnswerView source ↗

No; I will not. As I said when Parliament was sitting, I will produce a report on local content in current projects. Mr E.S. Ripper : Table all the correspondence. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Since the Premier has completely failed to answer my detailed questions on Fortescue Metals Group and the railcars, will he now commit to table all reports and correspondence between himself or his department and FMG on this matter? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: No; I will not. As I said when Parliament was sitting, I will produce a report on local content in current projects. Mr E.S. Ripper : Table all the correspondence. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: No; I will not. As I said when Parliament was sitting, I will produce a report on local content in current projects. Mr E.S. Ripper : Table all the correspondence. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
No; I will not. As I said when Parliament was sitting, I will produce a report on local content in current projects. Mr E.S. Ripper : Table all the correspondence. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Table all the correspondence. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No; I will not do that. The Leader of the Opposition can do his own homework. Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Mr E.S. Ripper : That is what we are doing. We are doing our work right now. Table the correspondence. What are you hiding? Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not hiding anything. I will have prepared a detailed report on the state of local content in current projects in the state. I will make the point, as I made outside, that one of the issues that has come up during meetings in the past three or four weeks has been that major companies—acting in good faith according to them—have sometimes awarded contracts to Australian contractors for major work and, unbeknown to them, the contractors have then sent much of the work offshore. This is an important point. One of the companies, I will not name which one, was quite dismayed at that and immediately required its procurement officers to do a total audit of all contracts let. For the first time, we have companies auditing their contractors and, to use the words of one, “carpeting them for their lack of performance according to their contract.” We roll up our sleeves on this side of the house, while the opposition moves motions about something that is three years away.

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