Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. I present the committee's report,Report 514: Inquiry into the procurement of mandated national support and advocacy services for victims of child sexual abuse.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—The report examines the procurement processes used by the Attorney-General's Department to deliver two mandated child sexual abuse related national services. These procurements arose directly from recommendations of the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse—recommendations that went to the heart of ensuring victims, survivors and their families receive timely, accessible and appropriate support. Given the significance and sensitivities of these services, the Australian National Audit Office conducted an audit of the procurements in 2024-25. The ANAO found that the processes did not involve open and effective competition, were subject to substantial delays, accepted non-compliant tenders for evaluation, failed to meet ethical standards and did not achieve value for money. In particular, the audit identified that preferred tenderers failed to comply with mandatory pricing requirements at the request-for-tender stage. They were nonetheless evaluated and ultimately offered contracts.

The evidence received by the joint committee throughout this inquiry was consistent with the ANAO's findings. Of particular concern to the committee were the significant delays. Although funding for these services was allocated in the 2021-22 budget, the market was not approached until late 2023. A contract for the national offending prevention service was eventually executed in July 2025. However, negotiations for the service intended to support non-offending family members collapsed in October 2024. At the time of reporting this, there remains uncertainty as to when or how that service will now be delivered.

The committee notes the Attorney-General's Department's acknowledgement that, while these procurements were complex, the processes were unacceptably slow. It is particularly troubling that the Attorney-General was not appropriately briefed on these delays and was only advised of anticipated timeframes in mid-2023. The department has accepted all of the ANAO's findings and has indicated a willingness to learn from these failures and improve its future practice. While this is welcome, the committee is not yet persuaded that that the department is positioned to deliver the full suite of services required. This includes a nationally available information and referral service for victims and survivors, which remains under evaluation and was not examined as part of the ANAO audit. Accordingly, the committee makes two recommendations in report 514: (1) that the Attorney-General's Department provide an immediate update on the status of these services; and (2) that the department report again within six months on its implementation on the ANAO's recommendations, including concrete examples drawn from ongoing and planned procurement activities.

Before concluding, I acknowledge the chair, the member for Macnamara; the deputy chair, Senator O'Sullivan; and members of the committee for their considered and diligent contributions to this inquiry. I would also like to thank the Australian National Audit Office and the Attorney-General's Department for their cooperation and the committee secretariat for its continued professionalism and support. I commend the report to the House.