AN APPEAL for the Auditor-General to run through the books to investigate into times of transactions of a discount online retail scheme is the latest part of the ACT opposition’s sustained attack on the government.

Questions were thrown at Minister for Business Tara Cheyne over impropriety of the Choose CBR scheme following allegations of misappropriation of funds between multiple Canberra businesses.

Every one of the nine Canberra Liberals party members each asked Ms Cheyne at least one question amid an orchestrated move from the opposition on Tuesday (June 22) in the first day back of the Legislative Assembly since the irregularities were found.

Ms Cheyne took the peppering of 23 questions in her stride, welcoming engagement on any areas of her ministerial responsibilities.

“ChooseCBR has inspired robust debate,” Ms Cheyne said.

“During question time, I was happy to reference, clarify and further expand on what was a already a very comprehensive ministerial statement about ChooseCBR.”

Sources to the Liberals observed that the vouchers were claimed “en masse” from midnight to 6am on June 18 and 19.

Ms Cheyne admitted the swamping of the CBR website exhausted the vouchers far quicker than the government that financially underwrote the $2.1 million promotion had possibly anticipated.

Opposition spokesperson for Business Leanne Castley says the government’s latest actions over an about-face of listing the top 100 Canberra businesses to provide evidence of the scheme’s success brings into question its credentials.

Ms Cheyne had refused to reveal businesses on the floor of the assembly on Thursday that allegedly have a papertrail linked to dubious transactions, citing commercial in confidence for her silence.

She accused the Minister of “ducking and weaving” around the ChooseCBR scheme that has raised some serious questions.

“The Minister has misled the Canberra community,” Ms Castley said.

“The list raises more serious questions, which can only be properly answered by the Labor-Greens Government calling in the Auditor-General.

“The Auditor-General must scrutinise the entire scheme, in particular transactions that took place over a 25-hour period.

“We know from the trial that three businesses had questionable transactions with a total voucher value of $6156, but the government did not recover the money as it would have been too costly.”

Ms Cheyne said the government intends to conduct an “independent” review to look into any wrongdoing inside the scheme.

The government process will be addressed “by the last sitting day” of the assembly this year that could be as late as December 2.

The opposition criticised the “dud” scheme for its low take-up, with 797 eligible businesses – less than 20 per cent – of a possible 4000 particpating in the promotion.

“That is a huge small business vote of no-confidence in ChooseCBR,” Ms Castley said.

“More than four in five eligible businesses did not bother signing up.”