Ventia blames Australia's defense department for talks with rivals

By James Panichi and Saloni Sinha ( May 14, 2025, 08:21 GMT | Insight) -- Ventia Australia has blamed the country’s defense department for encouraging the services provider to contact competitors Spotless Facility Services and BGIS, asking for a “collective meeting” to work on contract-change proposals, in documents filed in a landmark cartel lawsuit. Ventia said the Department of Defence had promoted the communication among the rival companies after it expressed its “desire” to restructure the delivery-estate works program projects under an “agreed contract” for multi-billion dollar contracts. Meanwhile, some of the individuals named in the lawsuit have claimed “privilege against self-exposure to a penalty.”Ventia Australia has blamed the country’s defense department for encouraging the services provider to contact competitors Spotless Facility Services and BGIS, asking for a “collective meeting” to work on contract-change proposals, in documents filed in a landmark cartel lawsuit....