Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 25 July 2011:

(1) How many contracts were issued for variations or additional work on departmental reports in the 2010-11 Financial Year, and:

(a) what was the title of each report;

(b) what was the total cost for each variation; and

(c) what was the reason for each variation.

(2) With reference to Contract Notice CN263388 which identifies additional work being done on a report at a cost of $10 183, what was the title of this report, and:

(a) what was the total cost of producing the report;

(b) what was the reason for varying this report;

(c) how many variations were there; and

(d) what was the reason for each variation.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) (b) and (c) The Department publishes details of all its contract arrangements including variations on the Austender website. The Department does not keep a central register on the number of variations or additional works undertaken on existing departmental reports and obtaining this information would consume a high level of resources. The Department is able to provide information that relates to any specific contract such as the response to question 2 below.

(2) The title of the report was Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s Report 2010.

(a) Printing by Canprint, under contract number CN263388, totalled $10,186.00 inclusive of GST.

(b) Increase page numbers from original 36pp and cover to 72pp and cover.

(c) One variation.

(d) Increase page numbers from original 36 pp and cover to 72pp and cover.