Dutton not phased by mishandling of contracts

AUSTRALIA – The Australian Immigration Department has made mistakes in its handling of contracts for offshore detention centres, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has conceded.

A report from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) released last week detailed concerns over the contracting of welfare, security, catering and cleaning services, adding that the department accepted a Broadspectrum – formerly known as Transfield – contract which had blown out by more than $1 billion without seeking alternative quotes.

Dutton said the department had to act quickly to set up the detention centres under the former Labor government.

“Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the time made an announcement that people would go to Nauru and things had to be set up within a couple of weeks,” he said.

“So let’s put it in context– yes I’m sure mistakes were made and decisions were rushed.”

Dutton said the department had to act quickly to stop deaths at sea.

“When I speak to the Border Force staff and the sailors at sea, they were pulling a 1000 people a week off boats, they were pulling bodies out of the water of children that had been eaten by sharks and the rest,” he said.

The ANAO report stated the department was unable to demonstrate it had secured value for money in three of the four hiring processes for centres on Nauru and Manus Island.

It found the department had “serious and persistent deficiencies” in the way it sought contracts with companies to set up the detention centres from 2012 to 2016.

For example, the department did not require Transfield to provide a proposal specifying services to be delivered and a price when establishing the centres in 2012.

“As a result, it was very difficult for the department to demonstrate that it had conducted a robust value-for-money assessment which considered the financial and non-financial benefits of the proposal,” the report stated.

Dutton defended the department’s record.

“In relation to my experience with the department, they are professional operators, they have an absolute determination to preside over a programme which is well run,” he said.

- ABC