Wednesday, 22 March 2023

 Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:19): My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. On 21 February this year the Assistant Treasurer advised this house that the awarding of the banking and financial services tender ‘was an independent process undertaken by senior bureaucrats within the Department of Treasury and Finance’. Does the Assistant Treasurer still stand by that statement?

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:19): Again, I have previously answered this question, and I refer the member to my previous response.

 Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:19): Under information revealed through an FOI, the Assistant Treasurer and his office exchanged more than 1100 emails with the senior bureaucrat who managed the banking tender. How can the Assistant Treasurer claim that was an independent process and free from conflicts when he and his office exchanged more than 1100 emails with the bureaucrat managing the tender and the contract process?

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:20): Again, I just refer the member to my previous answers on these questions.