Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Watt, I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, by no later than 3.30 pm on 14 November 2019, the following documents referred to in Auditor-General's report no. 12 2019-20, Award of Funding Under the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages (RJIP):

(a) the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2017, under which the Business Grants Hub was engaged to administer aspects of the program;

(b) documents that show how the cost of $8.078 million was determined;

(c) all other documents relating to the Business Grants Hub being selected to administer the RJIP, including emails/briefs between the Minister, the Minister's office, the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (the Department) and the Business Grants Hub, as well as all correspondence between the Department and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; and

(d) the request for quote and the final agreed contract between the Department and the contractor who undertook the assessment process at a cost of $3.15 million.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science has made a series of ongoing improvements to the administration and operation of the grants hub site since the RJIP was administered in 2017. A centralised and experienced hub for grant applications allows a more streamlined process. More than 260 programs have been successfully delivered across nine different departments and agencies to benefit Australians in rural and regional Australia and across the nation. The ANAO report concluded there was no bias evident in the assessment and decision-making process concerning funding of the projects in the RJIP.

Question agreed to.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Watt, I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, by no later than 3.30 pm on 14 November 2019, the following documents referred to in Auditor-General's report no. 12 2019-20, Award of Funding Under the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages (RJIP):

(a) all written briefings provided to Ministerial Panels to inform the award of grant funding in each of the 10 regions;

(b) all written responses from Ministerial Panels to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (the Department) following consideration of advice provided in relating to paragraph (a) above, including:

  (i) all records of requests by Panels to award funding to applications that had not been recommended by the Department, and all reasons for Panels awarding funding to applications that had not been recommended by the Department,

  (ii) all records of requests by Panels to not award funding to applications that had been recommended by the Department, and all records of reasons for Panels not awarding funding to applications that had been recommended by the Department,

  (iii) any documents identifying projects identified as ineligible, including any that received funding under the RJIP,

  (iv) any documents identifying late applications, including any projects that received funding under the RJIP, and

  (v) any documents identifying projects where there was a request for a co-funding exemption, including all records related to the decisions on whether to grant an exemption;

(c) a copy of the assurance review contracted by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; and

(d) all documents provided to Ministers/Ministerial Panels containing the scoring/assessment of all grant applications under the RJIP, and all responses by Ministers/Ministerial Panels to this advice.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development has accepted the recommendations of the report, having already implemented improved practices that address these recommendations based on the findings of an assurance review proactively conducted by the department in July 2018. The ANAO report concluded there was no bias evidence in the assessment and decision-making process concerning funding of the projects in RJIP regions over others. This government will continue to deliver programs and infrastructure that supports the future of regional Australia.

Question agreed to.