LOCAL TEXTILE COMPANIES SNUBBED BY LABOR AGAIN

01-June-2011

Labor has once again locked out local textile companies from tendering for the design of Australia’s next generation combat uniform fabric and garments.

 Evidence from this week’s Senate Estimates hearings revealed that innovative Australian businesses like Bruck Textiles weren’t even allowed to tender for $7.8 million worth of contracts that were awarded to overseas competitors to supply a new camouflage combat uniform. Worse still, the work could have been completed at a fraction of the price if undertaken locally. 

 This is a breach of procurement guidelines and a stunning repeat of earlier disasters in the administration of defence industry contracts. These have included the Government allowing contracts to purchase camouflage fabric from China and its refusal to reinvest in the critical DMTC Soldier Survivability program. 

 “Why does the Government have money for an American design company but not for local, proven and technically advanced companies like Bruck to develop new products to enhance Australian soldier survivability?” asked Federal Member for Indi and Shadow Innovation Minister, Sophie Mirabella MP.

 “This is the type of nonsense that was happening under the watch of the previous Minister, Greg Combet. We took Minister Clare at his word in January when he visited Bruck and said he had rejected a report which suggested defence uniforms should be made overseas.

 “Excluding Australian companies from even bidding for this work makes a farce of the Government’s procurement arrangements and proves they simply don’t care about local jobs.

 “It’s a disgrace not only that contracts continue to be sent offshore but also to less qualified companies; it is also a huge slap in the face for our local economy.

 “The Minister sits idly by while these incidents continue to occur. We need a public inquiry into defence procurement to give Australian companies a fair hearing. The Government must scrap the $7.8 million contract and provide local companies the opportunity to undertake the work required.

 “It will be just another embarrassing backflip after the Government was forced to contradict DMO earlier this week, when it tried to redefine the meaning of ‘Australian made’ to include imported woven fabric,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.