THE state government’s buy local policy has been labelled a ‘‘farce’’ and a ‘‘joke’’ by Labor, with millions of dollars in contracts awarded to interstate companies. But the Liberals say there’s been a 55 per cent increase in Tasmanian businesses winning contracts since they’ve been in government. It was revealed in Parliament yesterday that government contracts for police uniforms, roadworks, IT and training to the tune of almost $6.5 million went interstate. Before the election the Liberals introduced a local benefits test in order to assist Tasmanian businesses win contracts. But Treasury advice found contracts cannot be restricted to the state and can go to any Australian or New Zealand company. Opposition Leader Bryan Green said the policy was a ‘‘joke’’. ‘‘Last month a contract worth more than $330,000 to make jackets and raincoats for Tasmania Police went to a New South Wales company, despite nine Tasmanian businesses tendering for the business,’’ Mr Green said. Police Minister Rene Hidding told Parliament that the interstate company’s ‘‘product and price were more attractive’’. A Victorian company was also awarded a $1.5 million contract for pavement marking and maintenance for roads. Mr Hidding said any buy local test was ‘‘completely out of the question’’ due to a ‘‘substantial saving to the taxpayer’’. Last month more than $4 million in contracts were awarded to training providers interstate. Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the former government’s merging of two organisations meant TasTAFE had a ‘‘costly and inefficient’’ structure. ‘‘It could not compete with private RTOs [registered training organisations] on price,’’ he said. Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Trade Adam Brooks said that in the eight months since the Liberals’ local benefits test was implemented, 203 contracts had gone to local businesses. ‘‘By comparison, in the last eight months of the Labor-Green government only 131 tenders went to Tasmanian businesses,’’ Mr Brooks said.
THE state government’s buy local policy has been labelled a ‘‘farce’’ and a ‘‘joke’’ by Labor, with millions of dollars in contracts awarded to interstate companies.
But the Liberals say there’s been a 55 per cent increase in Tasmanian businesses winning contracts since they’ve been in government.
It was revealed in Parliament yesterday that government contracts for police uniforms, roadworks, IT and training to the tune of almost $6.5 million went interstate.
Before the election the Liberals introduced a local benefits test in order to assist Tasmanian businesses win contracts.
But Treasury advice found contracts cannot be restricted to the state and can go to any Australian or New Zealand company.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green said the policy was a ‘‘joke’’.
‘‘Last month a contract worth more than $330,000 to make jackets and raincoats for Tasmania Police went to a New South Wales company, despite nine Tasmanian businesses tendering for the business,’’ Mr Green said.
Police Minister Rene Hidding told Parliament that the interstate company’s ‘‘product and price were more attractive’’.
A Victorian company was also awarded a $1.5 million contract for pavement marking and maintenance for roads.
Mr Hidding said any buy local test was ‘‘completely out of the question’’ due to a ‘‘substantial saving to the taxpayer’’.
Last month more than $4 million in contracts were awarded to training providers interstate.
Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the former government’s merging of two organisations meant TasTAFE had a ‘‘costly and inefficient’’ structure.
‘‘It could not compete with private RTOs [registered training organisations] on price,’’ he said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Trade Adam Brooks said that in the eight months since the Liberals’ local benefits test was implemented, 203 contracts had gone to local businesses.
‘‘By comparison, in the last eight months of the Labor-Green government only 131 tenders went to Tasmanian businesses,’’ Mr Brooks said.
