Page 1940 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2022

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MS LEE: Where were these off-site CEO sessions, and what were the travel expenses, including fuel, flights, hotels and the like that were incurred?

MR BARR: I will take that on notice as well.

MR MILLIGAN: Have there been any off-site CEO sessions held that were not mentioned in this correspondence or since this advice was received?

MR BARR: Again, I will take that on notice.

Canberra Institute of Technology—procurement

MS LEE: My question is to the Chief Minister, standing in for the Minister for Skills, in relation to the correspondence tabled—and it is dated 5 March—from the CIT chair. The contracts referred to in that document total $3.27 million. The document clearly shows that most of the outputs produced by the consultant were mentoring, guidance and workshops, but large-scale organisational transformation, which is what CIT is claiming these services were for, requires a lot more than mentoring, guidance and workshops. Did the minister ask the board chair any further questions about whether mentoring, guidance and workshops alone were sufficient to deliver large-scale organisational transformation?

MR BARR: That seems to be a very specific question around what the minister may or may not have asked that I am not privy to so, again, I will need to seek that information from the minister.

MS LEE: Thank you. Did the minister ask any questions about the qualifications and experience of the consultant and their demonstrated ability to provide large-scale organisational transformation services?

MR BARR: Again, I will need to seek some information from the minister in relation to the question. I would note, though, that the line of questioning here suggests that the minister would be almost, in effect, making a procurement decision. I am not sure that it would be standard practice for a minister to be interrogating that level of detail in relation to any procurement.

Opposition members interjecting—

MR BARR: The line of questioning is veering into a space that I think is inviting the suggestion that ministers that are involved in assessing tenders and assessing the qualifications of people.

Ms Lee: There’s a reason why he asked for information.

MR BARR: I have listened to the questions in silence and endeavoured to answer them. If you would let me make a response—we are only 50 seconds in—we would be courteous; it is not too much to ask, I would hope.


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