Australia Post has been blitzing the airwaves in Victoria (and I assume elsewhere) touting its Christmas gifts. So I reread sections 14 through 16 of the Australian Postal Corporation Act (1989) to remind myself of the functions Australia Post is charged by the Act with carrying on and went shopping in a Post Shop – a government owned outlet.
The range for Christmas is even broader than I had seen just over a week ago. Now I find I can buy cuddly dogs; teddy bears; carol bears; a thermos set; games; electronic things; radios; books; tool sets; maps; wine openers; blankets; key rings… the list goes on for 12 pages in their catalogue. No wonder they’re making a lot of noise in their radio campaign.
The reach of this government owned retail network grows by the week. With every sale of these items they, the government, are taking business from private enterprise and they are doing it with an unfair advantage – the ever present line of poor folks who have to line up in the middle of their stores, in the middle of the valley of impulse temptation, to do the postal things over which Australia Post has a monopoly.
Every day these PostShops trade with their vast and growing range of newsagent related and other merchandise is another day the government thumbs its nose at small business. Unfortunately, no one in the government is prepared to even discuss the situation.
I hate hearing the ads on radio because I know that Australia Post will have used the power of their postal brand to extract a better deal than small business could negotiate; because they are promoting products I sell in my independently owned store; because they use the might of their postal brand to buy better; and, because they have customers who are prisoners to the Australia Post monopoly.