Report on selection process for Clare Curran
Environment Minister Trevor Mallard today released a briefing by the State Services Commission that looks at the advice
given to him on the selection process for Clare Curran to a short term communications role in the Ministry for the
Environment in 2006.
The briefing clarifies the selection process for the contract with Clare Curran and finds that the Minister for the
Environment was given factually inaccurate advice last week on the issue – for which Mr Logan has now apologised. (See
attached letter).
The main points of the briefing by deputy State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie are:
The ministry's advice given to the minister on November 15 which was subsequently provided to Parliament during
question time that day was inaccurate.
In particular, a competitive selection process involving three quotes was not used to select Clare Curran (as the
ministry had advised him was the case).
The non-competitive selection process used was consistent with the ministry's contracting guidelines.
But other aspects of the contracting process could have been handled better.
Clare Curran first approached the Ministry for the Environment for work sometime in late 2005 or early 2006 and met
with ministry staff, providing them with information around her previous communications role around climate change in
Australia.
"While my Hansard to the House on Thursday was technically accurate, in that I told the House I had been "advised" that
three quotes were sought, it is important to clear up the situation," Trevor Mallard said.
Trevor Mallard also corrected media reports that wrongly claimed Ms Curran was hired to replace Madeleine Setchell.
Ms Curran worked for the Ministry for the Environment from May 22 to July 28 2006 on a $29,400 contract to provide a
communications plan and strategies, stakeholder and media engagement and information resource development for the
climate change policy. Ms Setchell was hired in 2007.
To clarify other incorrect media reports, Hugh Logan was not employed at the Ministry for the Environment when Ms Curran
was hired.
ENDS