The Canberra Times. Federal politics. October 2026
This article looks at the contract variations, extensions and blowouts that agencies sign off without a competitive tender, much of it paid to large IT providers. It traces Laurie Nicol’s interest back to a tier one engineering firm in the early 2010s, where colleagues lost their jobs because the firm was too busy delivering good work to staff its bids, and sets out three changes to federal contracts that would remove the certainty of winning variations.
“Tendering rewards whoever has the time and people to bid well.”
Read the full article:
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9360942/laurie-nicol-three-ways-to-stop-federal-contract-blowouts/
