Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, in writing, on 3 September 2014:

Further to the Minister's answer to question in writing No. 250 (House Hansard, 26 August 2014, page 108), (a) has the 'Steele Blue' factory in Indonesia previously supplied defence products; if so, what products; (b) have Australian Government representatives inspected the factory where the boots will be made; and (c) do work conditions at the factory meet International Labour Organization standards.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to 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."