Further to my post about the $100,000+ campaign being run by SA newsagents to protest the failure of ANCOL to win a state government contract, see the ANCOL Media Alert providing further information.
The ANCOL pitch seeks to make this a union matter. I’m told staff only recently joined the union with ANCOL paying three months of membership fees.
While I am critical of governments, federal and state, that put dollars ahead of support for small businesses and Australian businesses, I am also aware that some contract bids are lost because they are not the best bids. I’ve been told that is the case here. I don’t know as I have not seen the ANCOL bid or the other bids. If I was a South Australian newsagent I’d want to see the ANCOL bid before I decided whether to invest in the protest.
This campaign is problematic for SA newsagents in terms of cost and pitch. I know it’s concerning some in the state.
If it was up to me, I’d be questioning the value of the $100,000+ spend on lobbying. What if this same amount was spend on TV in the state promoting newsagents as the go to retailers. The result could be better, full margin, business for more newsagents as opposed to discounted government business for the wholesaler.
The sooner GNS takes over ANCOl the better as far as I am concerned. ANCOL lost the tender and kept their moves secret. Now they are spending our money protecting their jobs. The directors should all resign.