CORONAVIRUS —
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL — REGIONAL TRAVEL AGENCIES
620. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Finance:
I refer to the ongoing impacts on
regional businesses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular
regionally based travel agencies.
(1) Is it mandatory that all government agencies use
the government's contracted service provider, Corporate Travel
Management, for the purpose of booking domestic air travel for regional
personnel and users of state-funded subsidised travel schemes?
(2) If yes to
(1), is the state government prepared to issue an exemption such that state
government agencies can use regionally based travel agencies?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) If no to (1),
why are state government personnel still being directed by their respective
agencies to use a Queensland-based company
in preference to supporting local and regionally based travel agencies during
these difficult times?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. The common-use arrangement is mandatory for
all Western Australian public authorities for domestic air travel bookings on regular passenger transport
routes. This contract does not cover state-funded subsidies for regional
citizens travelling in a private capacity.
(2) Public authorities with branch offices in regional
WA can use regionally based travel agencies via a regional purchasing
discretion, in accordance with the government's Buy Local policy. In
addition, any public authority's
accountable authority or delegate may request an exemption from the common-use
arrangement from the Department of Finance.
(3)–(4) Not applicable.