Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Government Services. What new information has been brought to the attention of the government in relation to deficient procurements identified by the Watt review and by other reviews of government services procurement?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members will recall that, on 24 November last year, I updated the House on disturbing reports in the Age and Sydney Morning Herald about how the former member for Fadden, Stuart Robert, used his status as a federal MP to assist undeclared Canberra lobbying firm Synergy 360 to sign up corporate clients. The allegation was essentially that Synergy 360's business model was that Mr Robert was their ace in the hole and could open doors for them. Following these revelations, two agency heads initiated the Watt review of procurement practices, led by eminent former public servant Dr Watt.

One procurement reviewed as part of the Watt review was a massive multimillion-dollar contract awarded to software giant Infosys. That was to upgrade the welfare payment software. It was called the Entitlement Calculation Engine. What has also emerged is that Infosys, who got this big contract, had a commercial relationship with Synergy 360. The ECE procurement was meant to transform the way welfare services were delivered in this country, and Infosys and its subsidiaries had been paid $126 million do this, but, after multiple delays and problems, Infosys never delivered what they promised. Services Australia has made a decision to stop throwing good money after bad and it's written off the former Liberal government's project at a total cost of $191 million to the taxpayer.

But today, in the SMH and Age, there are reports that Stuart Robert regally met with Infosys beginning in September 2018, when he was Assistant Treasurer, and then as a recycled cabinet minister after 2019. Furthermore, in documents tendered to Mr Hill's committee, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, by Infosys, it's revealed that on no fewer than 11 occasions Mr Robert met with Infosys with no probity adviser or APS representative in attendance. At at least six of these meetings, miraculously, Synergy 360 was in attendance. We know from Infosys testimony at a public hearing that Infosys, who got $126 million from the former coalition government, paid Synergy 360 $16 million. Of course, the other thing that we've learnt here is that, somewhat decently of Synergy 360, in 2017 they gave Mr Robert's chief fundraiser in Queensland, Mr Margerison, whereabouts unknown, a free 20 per cent share of the lobbying company.

So this is where we're at now. Mr Robert's left the building. Mr Margerison's left the country. There's been $191 million of taxpayers' money splashed up against the proverbial wall. Now the question for the opposition and the Leader of the Opposition is: what steps have you taken to satisfy yourself as to the probity of Mr Robert's contact? Have you asked the Queensland LNP where Mr Margerison is, and is he still an LNP member? Will you repudiate Mr Robert's conduct? (Time expired)