Letting of Contracts at Central TAFE Public Hearing AM session

15/30/mjd
All right, I'll show you the letter. Before we get there
though I want to compare it to these questions. So (4) is
quite specifically asking whether there is an extended
history between Shared Services and TAFE and (5) is asking
whether they were provided any inside information. Now, if
we go to the response which is CCC bar code 9367 this is a
letter on Central TAFE letterhead in response to that
letter of complaint and on the second page if we go to that
we can see that it's dated 19 November 2003 and it's signed
by you. Correct?---Yes, that's right.
All right, if we focus on the answers to questions (4) and
(5). (4) says this:
Central TAFE's contracts are publicly advertised to
maximise the number of potential respondents to its
request for quotation tender. Each bid response is
evaluated in isolation from any other contract
previously awarded and the relatively small size of
the consultancy community in Perth area tends to
limit the number of responses that are received. It
is not uncommon for Central TAFE to use the services
of the same individuals or firms more than once.
Now, that doesn't really answer the question does it?---I
can't remember what the question was now.
Was there an extended history between Central TAFE and
Shared Services?---I think it does. You know - - -
Where's the answer to that question? Whether there's an
extended history between Shared Services and Central TAFE?
---I think the last sentence says it's not uncommon for
Central TAFE to use the services of the same individuals or
firms more than once.
That's just a general statement, isn't it?---Well, I mean I
guess it's how you interpret it. Perhaps - - -
It's vague and it's meant to be vague, isn't it?---Well,
not really because I guess I was - - -
THE COMMISSIONER: Mr Tooker, Mr Musson, this could go on
till tea time. At the end of the day the Commission will
decide whether that's an appropriate answer to
question (4). Let's not debate it.
TOOKER, MR:
In question (5) your response is:
All potential respondents were given the same
information when the RFQ was published. Previous
contracts with Central TAFE would not necessarily
have given any competitive advantage.
That's simply not true, is it?---I'm not sure why you would
4/10/06 MUSSON, S.D. XN 200
11.12
Spark & Cannon