Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(a) Yes. Defence purchased approximately 5,900 pairs of safety boots from the 'Steele Blue' Indonesian factory through the Australian company, J Blackwood & Son Pty Ltd.

(b) Defence officials have not inspected the factory.

(c) Annex C of the tender requires companies to identify if they are manufacturing off shore and if so they are required to state that the companies' overseas subcontractors are accredited with local national scheme similar to the Australian Homeworkers' Code of Practice".

Within the Conditions of Tender it states that "the Commonwealth will exclude a tender from further consideration if the Commonwealth considers that the tenderer has not fully complied with a judgment against it from any Court or Tribunal (including overseas jurisdictions but excluding judgments under appeal or instances where the period for appeal or payment/settlement has not expired) relating to a breach of workplace relations law, occupational health and safety law or workers' compensation law."

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