Page 6355 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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MINISTER FOR HEALTH
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
QUESTION NUMBER 624
Health Portfolio - Consultants
Mr Kaine - Asked the Minister for Health:
How do you explain the inconsistency between your answers to questions Nos. 544 of 12 September 1991 and 556 of 17 September 1991, ie the reply to question No. 544(b) states no consultants have been engaged in public relations tasks for your department, while the reply to question No. 566(1)(b) lists two consultancies: KIZCLIP Pty Ltd and COMMUNIQUE Solutions as having public relations purposes for an ongoing duration.
Mr Berry - The answer to the Members question is as follows:
My answer to Question Number 544 is correct.
It seems that in drawing up the list of consultants attached to my answer to Question Number 556 the definition of a consultant as quoted in Report 302 of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts. "Engagement of External Consultants by Commonwealth Departments" published in November 1989 was not used. This definition reads as follows:
"In the public sector external consultants are usually regarded as specialists engaged to undertake short-term projects which assist the development or refinement of a Departments activities. In contrast external contractors are usually regarded as tradespeople or professionals engaged on a temporary basis to undertake more routine work, or to help the Department carry out its already defined activities."
In terms of this definition both KIZCLIP Pty Ltd and COMMUNIQUE SOLUTIONS fall into the category of "external contractors" and thus should not appear on the list. Using this criterion, which was applied in my answer to Question Number 544, Premier Service should also be deleted from the list.
Also the contract with KIZCLIP Pty Ltd does not involve public relations functions. This contractor is involved in the "Managing Organisational Change" process which.is associated with the Principal Hospital Redevelopment Project.
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