A number of unusual contracts awarded by CIT totalling $8.87 million since 2017 has once again raised alarm about ACT Labor-Greens Government procurements.

The contracts were all awarded to the same person, and linked entities, primarily to provide mentoring to the CIT CEO, and have steadily escalated since 2017. The most recent – signed only in March this year – is valued at almost $5 million.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee said there are a number of questions the minister must answer in regard to these contracts.

“The services provided by the contractor do not appear to have changed significantly since 2017 but the rates to provide those services have increased from $1,000 per day to $10,000 per day,” Ms Lee said.

“To have someone essentially on a retainer costing $10,000 a day to mentor the CEO raises serious questions about the use of taxpayers’ money.

“There is very little publicly available information to indicate what services were delivered under these contracts and there is no transparency about what Canberrans have received for an eye-watering $10,000 per day.

“We know there are serious issues of integrity in procurement within this ACT Labor-Greens Government.

“Recently we saw a scathing report from the Auditor-General about the Campbell Primary School Modernisation Project and the Integrity Commissioner coming out in a very public way saying these issues are likely endemic.

“I recently called for all ACT Government procurements over the last five years to be audited which was rejected by the Labor-Greens Government.

“These CIT contracts are shrouded in secrecy and raise alarm about probity in ACT Government procurements. All this has been allowed to continue under the ACT Labor-Greens Government.

“The Minister responsible must be upfront with the community and explain why and how a whopping $8.87m was spent with very little to show for it,” Ms Lee concluded.