David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 19 December 2012:

(1) What process was undertaken to employ Robert Brennan and Associates to investigate the bullying, harassment and national security issues in the Defence Security Association (DSA)?

(2) What were the terms of reference?

(3) What issues concerning national security were found and reported by Robert Brennan and Associates?

(4) What action was taken by DSA following the report by Robert Brennan and Associates?

(5) What level of security clearance was held by Mr Robert Brennan and his associate Ms Julie Trent?

(6) Were the necessary checks made to ensure that vetting processes were completed before awarding Robert Brennan and Associates the contract for this task?

(7) How much was the contract that was awarded to Robert Brennan and Associates for the purpose of this investigation?

(8) What additional work by Robert Brennan and Associates has been commissioned by DSA or the department since June 2010, to provide what has been described as 'The Brennan Reports' within the reports of Mr Brennan and Ms Trent?

(9) For each set of investigations and/​or work that Robert Brennan and Associates has been contracted to perform, what were the: (a) terms of reference; (b) costs and; (c) resulting reports.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Robert Brennan and Associates were one of the service providers on a Defence Intelligence and Security Group Standing Offer Panel established for the provision of human resource management consultancy services – this included specialist advice in diagnosis of business problems and goals, and delivering solutions to overcome such problems.

The DSA engaged Robert Brennan and Associates under this panel arrangement to investigate issues within the National Coordination Centre of the DSA.

(2) The statement of work for the contract required Robert Brennan and Associates to investigate:

(i) the 'complaint to the Minister' of alleged breaches in the management of the contractor workforce (ie. harassment and bullying)

(ii) the staff complaints of alleged poor APS management work practices (ie. systemic management issues).

(3) The scope of the work undertaken by Robert Brennan and Associates was to investigate alleged breaches in the management of the contractor workforce and complaints of poor APS management.

During the investigation into these issues, concerns about security processes were raised by two persons interviewed. As this was outside of the scope of the investigation, the investigators only made reference to these concerns in their final reports. The investigators did not pass the specific details of these concerns to Defence.

(4) The DSA adopted all of the recommendations made by Robert Brennan and Associates.

(5) Mr Brennan and Ms Trent held RESTRICTED level security clearances at the time they performed the contracted work for the DSA. This security clearance satisfied the requirements of the contract let to Robert Brennan and Associates.

(6) Robert Brennan and Associates was awarded a position on the Defence Intelligence and Security Group standing offer panel after a full tender evaluation encompassing its technical capacity and tender compliance in 2008. The security vetting processes for the company were completed in 2009, prior to awarding Robert Brennan and Associates the contract for this task in 2010.

(7) The total cost was $32,625.67 excluding GST.

(8) Only one contract was let by the DSA to Robert Brennan and Associates to provide the work described as 'The Brennan Reports'. No additional work has been commissioned by the DSA since June 2010.

A review found no evidence that any other business unit within Defence, had any contractual involvement with Robert Brennan and Associates in relation to the work described as 'The Brennan Reports'.

In relation to what has been described as the 'The Brennan Reports', there have been no other investigations and/​or work undertaken by Brennan and Associates on behalf of the DSA.