House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Government Stationery Contract GOVERNMENT STATIONERY CONTRACT The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport GOVERNMENT STATIONERY CONTRACT The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Finance. Does the minister expect job losses in the South Australian newsagency sector following the Labor government's decision to instruct the government departments to purchase stationery exclusively from OfficeMax and Corporate Express? If so, how many job losses does the minister expect? The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly Napier Minister for Finance Minister for Police Minister for Correctional Services Minister for Emergency Services Minister for Road Safety GOVERNMENT STATIONERY CONTRACT The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Finance, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:41): If we exclude the wholesale business, which is ANCOL and its associated company, the advice that I have received is that there will be no job losses within newsagencies— Members interjecting: The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: —for the simple fact that newsagencies have the option to either opt in or remain out of the co-op. They buy shares. I think there is a minimum requirement of 100 shares and for that it has been indicated to me that—and I am not exactly sure of the amount that has to be purchased and I will come back and correct the figure if it is incorrect—for a purchase of about $60,000 a year from ANCOL they will get a dividend of about $1,000, which is small beer in the overall scheme of things. There are other wholesalers. A large number of them, as we discovered through the tender process, eight that we know of, can supply stationery to the newsagents—no impact whatsoever on employment within newsagencies. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I warn the leader for the second time and I warn the member for Heysen for the second time. The member for Davenport.