SENATE

Monday, 27 February 2017 Senate Page 33
Ms Croke: I was going to add that I received a phone call early on the morning that it was proposed to have
the media conference from the chief of staff to the Speaker. So there had clearly been discussions between both
the Presiding Officers. I got the message that we were to let the childcare centre know and see whether they had
any concerns. The press conference was not actually in the childcare centre; it was in the courtyard, one of the
parliamentary courtyards, looking back towards the play area of the childcare centre.
Senator WONG: Did they go through the childcare centre, though? Did they walk through it?
Ms Croke: Not that I recall, but I can take that on notice to double-check that.
Senator WONG: So who spoke to the childcare centre operator?
Ms Croke: One of the DPS staff members in the Parliamentary Experience Branch went down and spoke to
the director of the childcare centre that morning and gave me advice which I then relayed back to the Presiding
Officers' officers.
Senator WONG: What was the advice?
Ms Croke: The advice was to confirm that no child was to be filmed unless there was a permission in place,
which was highly unlikely to be able to be achieved in that time frame. As it happened, at the time they were
doing the press conference—it was something like nine or 9.30 in the morning—the children were actually inside
the childcare centre, so it was not an issue.
Senator WONG: Did the childcare operator express any concern about this?
Ms Croke: Not that I recall because, as I said, at that point in the morning they were going to have all the
children inside the childcare centre, so they would not have been visible from a camera filming within back
towards the play area.
Senator WONG: Has anyone asked this before?
Ms Croke: To film in that area?
Senator WONG: Yes.
Ms Croke: I would have to take that on notice. I do not recall it in the time I have been overseeing and
managing that in my space.
Senator WONG: Mr President, last year you and the Speaker announced increased security around the
building, including construction of a fence. I just want to understand the status of that. Have there been any
approaches to market relating to that project? I am not going to ask about detail; I am just going to ask about
process.
The President: If I answer that by saying, 'Yes, the process is underway,' I hope the next question is not,
'When do we see activity?'
Senator WONG: No.
The President: It has all progressed.
Senator WONG: What I want to know is, was there any approach to market, or did you just pick someone?
The President: There has been a proper tender process approach to market.
Senator WONG: There was a proper tender process.
The President: Yes, an approach to market in the normal way.
Senator WONG: Did you use AusTender?
The President: I might ask the department to answer this.
Senator WONG: You should have. It should have been on AusTender.
The President: I assume so, but I will let the department answer.
Mr Stefanic: Yes, it was.
Senator WONG: I would like on notice a list of consultants and contractors engaged on this project to date
and those engaged for future work. Is that all right?
The President: I am sure the secretary will take that on notice.
Senator WONG: I am happy to flick to my colleagues now. Thank you, chair.
Senator LUDLAM: On the same topic, what degree of public consultation was there? There is a 2.6-metre
high fence proposed to be put right around the parliamentary building to protect people from getting up onto the
lawns. What, if any, public consultation occurred before that proposal got the green light?
FINANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION LEGISLATION COMMITTEE