Hon Mick de Brenni MP, Minister for Housing and Public Works: This afternoon is about honouring our local suppliers, Queensland suppliers. Those businesses that go out of their way to support Queensland.
Kay McGrath, Master of Ceremonies: There were nominations from a range of businesses and industries, as you would imagine, from right across the state. The judging panel decided to award highly commended and winners across the three award categories, which are: Putting Queenslanders First, Diversity in Procurement, and the Minister's Buy Queensland Award.
Impact Office Supplies: Is it awesome? Absolutely. Yeah. We're thrilled to bits actually, I'm really, really delighted. I'm a pretty laid back sort of guy but, you know, inside I'm absolutely over the moon. That's fantastic. Yeah, look, we're wrapped, absolutely top of the world.
Ability Enterprises: We've worked really hard and all of our staff have worked really hard to participate and to achieve these awards, and without them, we wouldn't be the company that we are today.
Peter Lacey, Acting Executive Director, Office of the Chief Advisor – Procurement, Department of Housing and Public Works: I think the true value that the Buy Queensland approach offers to Queenslanders is that strengthening of that regional employment base, government investing it's dollar back into those communities.
Sharon Bailey, Acting Deputy Director-General and Chief Advisor Queensland Government Procurement, Department of Housing and Public Works: We are very keen to buy Queensland, not only because it helps the local economy, but because it grows those businesses and those businesses bring so much benefit to their local community. And also, the produce and products that we're getting are just exceptional.
BiTQ: I think one of the hardest things being a business owner is knowing that you're doing the right thing and knowing when you're doing the right thing, because you spend a lot of time and a lot of effort building and building and building and you don't really get to see any of the benefits initially. So an award like this is recognition that what we've done is good and we're on the right track and we're giving it a go and it's not all in vain. Yeah.
Liza Carroll, Director-General, Department of Housing and Public Works: I think the fantastic thing for me as a DG of a department is that you're contributing to the Queensland economy. That through this process you're actually helping to create those local enterprises and local jobs and really recognising the people that are behind it.
