The former Morrison government minister Stuart Robert met with a preferred tenderer for a home affairs contract before contract negotiations began, “contrary to the probity plan and protocols”, the auditor general has found.
It also said the risk of contracted advisers having conflicts of interest with potential tenderers was “not considered during procurement planning” and that “timely action” was “not always taken to address instances where officials or personnel from the advisers had declared they had a conflict of interest”.
The ANAO report stated: “Contrary to the probity plan and protocols, the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business [Robert] held a meeting with personnel from the preferred tenderer before the commencement of contract negotiations. This meeting was not recorded in the probity register.”