House of Assembly: Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Contents

Question Time

GOVERNMENT STATIONERY CONTRACT

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:18): My supplementary question to the minister is: following the minister's answer about how the tender has not breached tender rules regarding other states, Australia and New Zealand, can the minister explain how the stationery had been supplied by the newsagents for 40 years without breaching those rules?

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Finance, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:18): That is very easy to explain, because there was not an agreement in place. It was an informal agreement that had never gone to tender, and it was about time that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: There was no agreement to contravene, because a tender process had not been run on that business.