Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Following Senator Ryan's comments, I want to make the point that our current Commonwealth Procurement Rules do not take into account the social and economic effects of buying local—the effect it has on supply chain, on local jobs and on local economies. The fact is that we have a situation where we can and do produce Australian paper for Australian ballot papers, rather than the many tonnes that are being imported right now for the July 2 election. That seems fundamentally wrong to me, given that Australian jobs are at stake.