Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the advice said it was open to the government to decide to terminate the tender process on public interest grounds on the basis that a fair and defensible tender process outcome now may not be able to be achieved. The government will now consider the full range of options for the awarding of this contract and will make a decision no later than March next year. As I have said, the government is extremely disappointed that these leaks have occurred and that the tender process has been compromised. However, the government has taken the decision that it is in the public interest that the process be terminated. Put simply: it is no longer possible to be certain what each bidder knew about their rival's bid. This decision has not been taken lightly, but the government acted on the legal advice it had received from the Australian Government Solicitor. (Time expired)