GOVERNMENT STATIONERY CONTRACT

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:54): My question is for the Minister for Finance. Will the government rule out extending the mandated products list made under the whole-of-government stationery contract to include education-specific back-to-school items?

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) (14:54): I have requested a further review. We, being DECD, Shared Services and the Commissioner for Small Business, have developed a protocol and an arrangement for our schools. It is only prudent that we review that some little time down the track to see how it is operating. I have requested that review and I am hoping that that review will be completed within a matter of four to six weeks.

These reviews are carried out largely as a matter of course by Shared Services, and the last review that Shared Services did of the new contractual arrangements showed a saving—over, I think, a three-month period—of 26 per cent, where actually across government, in terms of what we were paying for our stationery goods, it is better than a quarter improvement.

The survey also asked for levels of customer satisfaction. It was not just directed at DECD. It applied to all agencies across government and the satisfaction level was exceptionally high. We have savings of 26 per cent with this new contract on stationery and we have an extremely high level of customer satisfaction in terms of timeliness of delivery, customer/client interaction, the maintenance of both sides—

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order!

The SPEAKER: Minister, would you be seated. Point of order, member for Davenport.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: I would ask the Speaker to draw the minister back to answering the question, which was: will the government rule out extending the mandated product list made under the whole-of-government stationery contract to include education-specific back-to-school items? That was the question—not the level of savings made by the contract, sir.

The SPEAKER: Minister. I will listen carefully.

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: No, we will not. I rule that out.