TASMANIA Police sent representatives to Western Australia three times before a Geraldton company was eventually awarded a contract for the force’s new state-of-the-art police boat, a Right to Information document shows.
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The document – requested by a Member of Parliament – shows flights to the state in December, February and March totalled almost $9000.
Police representatives spent 10 days in the Geraldton area during their second visit in February.
The tender process has raised questions in Parliament about why a Tasmanian bid was not successful.
The state government awarded the $8.6 million contract to Fine Entry in March ahead of Tasmania company Richardson Devine Marine, which was deemed “critically non-compliant”.
During Question Time on Tuesday, Labor leader Bryan Green issued a please explain to Police Minister Rene Hidding.
Mr Hidding said he was “amazed” and “devastated” a local company did not win.
"That is a matter for that company to explain,” he said.
Labor police spokesman David Llewellyn told Parliament the contract decision "made a mockery" of the government's buy local policy.
He also cast doubts over the compliance of the Western Australian bid.
Mr Llewellyn said Fine Entry was building a vessel only capable of 28 knots – less than originally planned – which showed the winning bid was also non-compliant.
The RTI document – published by Tasmania Police on Tuesday – states that Fine Entry was “fully compliant”.
Mr Hidding said it was a bit rich for Mr Llewellyn to be criticising the new boat, given he was the "architect of the $2 million disaster Fortescue".
The RTI document shows police representatives also made two trips to Coolangatta, in Queensland’s south, in December and January.
The flights cost $2652 in total.
Tasmania Police was contacted for comment.
The new vessel is expected to be complete in mid-2017.
