Ministerial Statement

ICAC Report

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Today I have received a letter from the Hon. Ann Vanstone KC, Commissioner for the Independent Commission Against Corruption, regarding her report, 'Yes Minister: Corruption risks associated with unsolicited proposals', tabled yesterday.

In that letter the commissioner makes a number of recommendations to the government to improve agency practices relating to unsolicited proposals that do not meet the current minimum threshold for formal consideration within the unsolicited proposals process. Specifically, the commissioner calls for a review and update of the Premier and Cabinet Circular 038, Unsolicited Proposals, as well as a review of the Public Authority Internal Procurement Framework Development Guidelines.

The commissioner's letter has outlined the following recommendations specifically to Procurement Services SA within the Department of Treasury and Finance:

(1) For proposals that do not meet the minimum financial thresholds under the Department of Treasury and Finance's Guidelines for Assessment of Unsolicited Proposals:

(a) review and update the unsolicited proposals scheduled to ensure that conflicts of interest must be declared and managed during the assessment process, and

(b) clarify the form and content required of acquisition plans and purchase recommendations, including the use of templates where appropriate.

(2) Review the Public Authority Internal Procurement Framework Development Guide with the view to ensuring agencies are directed to the appropriate guiding documents for assessing unsolicited proposals of any value (both the guidelines and schedule).

(3) Ensure that this advice is communicated to all government agencies and consider the provision of training for public officers into the correct processes for managing unsolicited proposals.

I have referred the commissioner's correspondence and recommendations to the Chief Executive of the Department of Treasury and Finance—the agency responsible for procurement policy—and also the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, as the agency responsible for the circular. I have asked both chief executives to give the commissioner's recommendations and correspondence their due consideration.

The government accepts the recommendations in principle, and in the event we are able to be informed of the particulars and circumstances of the matters that have given rise to the commissioner's report, the government will then be in a position to consider what, if any, further action needs to be considered.