Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I can assure the Senate that quality and value for money are important considerations in any tender for products supplied to the Australian Defence Force. Value for money does not necessarily suggest that defence will accept the cheapest offer. Rather, the evaluation considers such issues as the overall performance against the specification as well as any risks associated with the procurement, in addition to the overall cost. There are a range of measures that are taken into account. I acknowledge the concern that the senator raised about the impact that just assessing the lowest price might have, but that is not the system used by the ADF. They do balance a range of issues that include price, overall performance against specification and any risks associated with the procurement, in addition to the cost issue.