The Greens have introduced a bill to ban dodgy contractors from getting government work. This includes debarring any potential supplier, who has engaged in unethical conduct, from Commonwealth work for up to five years.
Currently under Australian law, the Commonwealth does not have the power to ban a contractor for unethical conduct, as was evident with the PwC tax leak scandal. The Government ignored PwC's unethical conduct when it recently greenlighted the consultancy firm, despite ongoing investigations and two Senate inquiries concluding that PwC had colluded with foreign multinationals to defraud Australia's tax system.
The Greens urge Labor to pass this bill without delay to ensure dodgy contractors like PwC are kicked out of the fold of government contracts.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for finance Senator Barbara Pocock:
"This bill would give the Commonwealth the teeth it currently lacks. It would allow the Commonwealth to debar dodgy contractors, like PwC, from entering into government contracts and would deter unethical conduct.
"The Greens want to close the legal loophole that allows contractors who behave unethically to get away with it. It's unacceptable that the Government must rely on the wrong-doer to agree to banning itself from undertaking future government contracts. This is like having to ask a criminal for permission to send them to jail. What a joke!
"Labor must urgently fix the legal loopholes to ensure stronger protections from dodgy contractors and this bill is a gift for Labor."
"We need to ensure the integrity of government spending of public money. Numerous jurisdictions around the world already have debarment laws, including Western Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US. So why don't we? This Government has no legitimate reason to vote against this bill.
"The PwC tax scandal was one of the most shocking breaches of public trust in recent memory. The firm is currently under investigation by the AFP, the Tax Practitioners Board and has been referred to the NACC. They have proven themselves to be untrustworthy, conducting their own internal investigations and continuously refusing to cooperate with government inquiries.
"When the Government let PwC back into the fold, it betrayed the Australian people who rightly held the expectation that PwC would be held to account for colluding with foreign multinationals to defraud our tax system. This decision was gutless and it has undermined public confidence in government procurement.
"We urgently need greater transparency and stronger procurement protections from corrupt contractors. This is Labor's chance to kick PwC out and change the system to ensure that contractors who behave unethically don't get away with it."
