A new Parliamentary inquiry will examine Commonwealth Procurement, focusing on five recent reviews of procurement practices at Commonwealth agencies.
The inquiry, to be conducted by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) will examine ways to improve transparency, efficiency, and value for money in Commonwealth procurement.
The Chair of the JCPAA, Mr Julian Hill MP, said that "in recent years the Australian National Audit Office has too often found that Commonwealth agencies have failed to follow both the letter and the spirit of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. The Procurement Rules are to ensure value for money as well as encourage competition, efficiency and accountability in the expenditure of public money.
"There appears a concerning pattern of agencies cutting corners or interpreting the rules to suit themselves and make life easier for themselves, rather than apply the Rules and let more people and firms bid for Commonwealth work. Maintaining efficient, effective, economical and ethical procurement practices will always be a challenge for governments", Mr Hill said, "and the Committee hopes to identify how Commonwealth procurement practices can be improved to deliver better value for money for Australian taxpayers."
The five Auditor-General Reports that will form the starting point for the Committee's inquiry are:
- No. 6 (2021-22) Management of the Civil Maritime Surveillance Services Contract
- No. 15 (2021-22) Department of Defence's Procurement of Six Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boats
- No. 30 (2021-22) Procurement of the National Capital Authority
- No. 42 (2021-22) Procurement of Delivery Partners for the Entrepreneurs' Programme
- No. 5 (2022-23) Digital Transformation Agency's Procurement of ICT Related Services
The Committee invites submissions to the inquiry addressing the terms of reference to be received by Friday, 11 November 2022. Details of the inquiry – including the terms of reference and public hearings – will be made available on the Committee website.
