Firm advised by Christopher Pyne wins federal government grants worth almost $7m
A firm that uses former defence minister Christopher Pyne as a strategic advisor won two federal government grants worth almost $7m to help develop Australia’s space capabilities, prompting questions from Labor.
Saber Astronautics, an Australian space operations company, was named as the recipient of two government grants in June, including a $6m grant awarded by the Australian Space Agency to establish a mission control centre in Adelaide.
Saber also won a $788,792 grant for the Open Source Space Operations project, which aims to develop software connecting satellites to mission control centres.
The Australian Space Agency said Saber was the most meritorious of the six firms that applied for the $6m mission control centre grant.
“Six applications were assessed by an independent committee against the merit criteria set out in the Space Infrastructure Fund mission control centre grant opportunity guidelines,” a spokeswoman said. “This decision was made by the head of the Australian Space Agency, based on the recommendation of the committee.”
The firm last year engaged Pyne’s lobbying firm, GC Advisory.
Saber, GC Advisory, and the industry minister, Karen Andrews, all said the former defence minister did not lobby in relation to the grants, and that the process used to award the money was open and competitive.
Saber said Pyne provides it with “strategic advice” and has not lobbied for contracts or grants on its behalf.
Saber’s chief executive, Jason Held, said the awarding of the grants was due to hard work and talent.
“[Pyne] does provide strategic advice and there is no conflict of interest,” Held said in an email.
“Saber Astronautics won both of these projects via a highly competitive selection. It was an open call – once we submitted our proposal we had no contact from the agency until notification of our win.
“From our perspective, sometimes hard work and talent really does pay off.”
There is no suggestion Saber is not qualified for the work. It has a good reputation in a highly specialised field and works with the United States military and space forces.
But Labor does have questions about the nature of Pyne’s involvement with the firm.
Brendan O’Connor, the shadow industry minister, wrote to Andrews last week about the awarding of the $6m grant, asking how it was awarded, and whether the minister was aware that the firm engaged Pyne’s firm.
“Has Mr Pyne, his firm CG Advisory, or Saber, made any representations to you or your staff directly since May 2019?” O’Connor asked. “If so, what matters were these about? Can you please provide the dates of representations,
meeting and correspondence?”
A spokesman for Andrews said the funding was awarded through “two open, competitive grant processes”.
“The head of the Australian Space
Agency was the decision-maker for both grants,” the spokesman said. “The minister was not lobbied in relation to either grant.”
Saber had won contracts with the defence department while Pyne was minister.
The engagement of Pyne’s firm prompted a warning from the attorney general’s department, which wrote to Pyne to remind him he was banned from lobbying for clients like Saber, because lobbying rules prohibit former government ministers from engaging
“in lobbying activities relating to any matter that they had official dealings with in their last 18 months in office”.
GC Advisory has repeatedly stated that Pyne is aware of the rules and is complying with them fully.
The mission control centre funding was supplemented by $2.5m from the South Australian government through the Adelaide City Deal.