Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Printer Cartridge Scam PRINTER CARTRIDGE SCAM The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council PRINTER CARTRIDGE SCAM In reply to the Hon. R.I. LUCAS (27 September 2011) (First Session). The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women PRINTER CARTRIDGE SCAM The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women): The Attorney-General has been advised: 1.	Printer cartridge purchases are normally classified under stationery as it is considered impractical to itemise each individual stationery item in the General Ledger. This has been the arrangement for over 10 years. If information is required on the number and cost of a specific item, such as printer cartridges, this is more likely to be sought through other means, such as focussing on purchases from suppliers that deal exclusively with printer cartridges. The member is correct to assert that the department has not counted the number of printer cartridges it has purchased in a given year, nor has it counted the number of staples, or rubber bands, or paper clips, or pens, or reams of paper. It is not considered an efficacious use of public servants' time to individually itemise these stationery purchases. 2.	The department always co-operates with the Auditor-General and his department. In this instance, it will include sharing any information gathered as part of the Department's own investigations. 3.	No.