Fuel Price Monitoring

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:04): Could I just ask a supplementary, sir. Of the issues that were raised with the ACCC, were they not significant? Can you elaborate on what those concerns were about the provider that you are considering to use?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (15:05): No, I won't go into the detail of it. I didn't assert that they weren't significant. In fact, I think the company in question, which the Labor government in Queensland had appointed to undertake their project, had been criticised, if I can put it best as that, by the ACCC. They gave an undertaking, as I understand it, to provide data as an obligation in negotiated arrangements with the ACCC.

But the detail of that, no, I don't think I can add anything further, other than to say that, whilst there had been rather scathing comment made during our debates in relation to this particular company, it was the commissioner's view, and indeed my view, that it was even more important that there be an open tender in relation to the data providers, although I understand that there are not many in Australia who undertake this role.

The company the Queensland government went with was one that had been the subject of some criticism in our debates. I am not suggesting for one moment that that was insignificant. I simply make the point that as a government, and consistent with the commissioner's advice, it was very important to progress to a full tender, and that's exactly what is happening. His advice to me is that they expect to have a finalised position for appointment on that before Christmas.