ACT committee to probe school procurement after Kingfisher report
An Assembly committee will examine ACT procurement and integrity gaps raised by the Integrity Commission's Operation Kingfisher report on a school build.
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- Read original source · Region Canberra
A Legislative Assembly committee has decided to open an inquiry into the procurement and integrity questions raised by the ACT Integrity Commission’s Operation Kingfisher report on the Campbell Primary School modernisation project, Region Canberra reported on 6 November. The inquiry sits with the Standing Committee on the Integrity Commission and Statutory Office Holders.
Why it matters
For builders and developers who tender for ACT Government work, the inquiry puts the Territory’s procurement rules under a new round of scrutiny. According to Region Canberra, the Operation Kingfisher report found that two public figures acted corruptly in working together to deny the builder Manteena the school project, even though Manteena was offering the better and cheaper option.
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Region Canberra reports that committee chair Elizabeth Lee, a Liberal member, said the report left open questions on past ACT Government procurement, especially in the Education Directorate, and on possible weak points in the Territory’s integrity and procurement systems. She said: “It presents the ACT with an opportunity to identify areas for further strengthening our procurement and integrity systems against corrupt conduct”.
The outlet says the inquiry will stay away from ground the Integrity Commission has already covered and will not cut across other live investigations tied to the matter.
The numbers
Region Canberra reports that the ACT Public Service is going back over construction procurement decisions worth more than A$500,000 in every portfolio from 2019 to 2024. The first phase covered Education Directorate projects and, per the outlet, turned up no evidence of improper influence. Results for the rest are to be tabled in the Assembly.
The outlet says the government’s response states that its procurement, governance and integrity settings have been tightened since complaints first surfaced over the Campbell Primary School modernisation process. Each director-general was also asked for fresh assurance that current procurements carry none of the probity problems the report described. New training and guidance has been produced for public servants, ministers and staff.
What’s next
Per Region Canberra, the committee will test the government’s response, including the review of past procurement projects and the steps taken to encourage staff to report inappropriate behaviour. It will also map financial and legal risks to the Territory from the conduct described in the report.
The inquiry will look at how to deal with people employed under the Public Sector Management Act 1994 or the Legislative Assembly (Members’ Staff) Act 1989 at the time of the conduct who have since left employment. It will also look at ways to strengthen the integrity framework, including making directors-general accountable through the Head of Service, and at how the Integrity Commissioner can access government documents such as employment records.
The outlet adds that the committee will monitor how the government manages individuals named in the report. According to Region Canberra, one of the two has left the Territory’s public service and is challenging the Integrity Commission in the Federal Court, while the other resigned in October 2024 shortly after dropping a Supreme Court action against the Commission.
No reporting date for the inquiry is given in the article. Anyone pricing ACT Government work will want to watch how the committee treats probity requirements for future tenders.
Related: the Forrest Italian Club site proposal.
Quick answers
What are the key numbers in this story?
review threshold: A$500,000; review window: 2019 to 2024.
Where does this information come from?
This story cites Region Canberra. Every source is linked on the page.
Sources
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