The Printing Industries Association of Australia appeared at a Federal Parliamentary Committee this morning, looking into the value of printed documents for Parliament, and warned them that potential cost savings are minimal.
Mary Jo Fisher, director Government Relations, Printing Industries’ says, “The committee was receptive, and we quelled any appetite around going completely online.
“The cost savings would be peanuts, as most of the work and time goes towards preparing documents for print.”
CanPrint has printed the Federal Budget and Parliamentary documents for the past 20 years. The currently print more than 50 per cent of outsourced work for Parliament House.
The company says that when producing the Annual Reports, 80 per cent of the cost is in preparing the document for print, whereas 20 per cent goes towards the actual printing, meaning moving to an online only format would save a fraction of the overall cost.
There are other ways to save money, according to the Canberra printers.
CanPrint says in its experience, the designing of Annual Report documents continually pushes the boundaries of Parliament’s guidelines, increasing overall costs. Enforcement of the existing guidelines would deliver cost savings without a reduction in quantity.
Fisher says, “It is not just about CanPrint, or Federal documents, it is the trickle down effect to local governments, there are a range of printers across the country that do print work for the Government.
“It was a great opportunity for us to open the eyes of MPs and public servants on the value and possibility of print.
“It is a good step forward in our broader lobbying efforts for print.”
During the hearing, MP Madeleine King noted a stack of printed documents in front of her which she was making annotations on, pointing to the fact that paper and print allow her to do so. Senator Linda Reynolds made a similar observation, holding up vital printed documents allowing her to get on with the job of governing.
For Fisher, it showed that Printing Industries’ efforts “Brought to the surface their common sense thoughts.”
Printing Industries' has been active in lobbying in 2017, having held meetings with various ministers and MPs on energy security, and workplace relations law.
You can read a full copy of their submission here.
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