While in the Federal Government owned Australia Post retail outlet yesterday I saw first hand how Australia Post is abusing the Act under which they operate, the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989. I was there to conduct postal business which I can only conduct at Australia Post. The queue was long with nine people in front of me and four at the counter being served. Of these four, one was getting help on a shredder they purchased from Australia Post, another was asking for help with choosing a printer, another was trying to sort out which ink cartridge to buy and the fourth was buying greeting cards. Here is what the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 says about the provision of these “incidental†services:
16 Functions—incidental businesses and activities
(1) The functions of Australia Post include the carrying on, within or
outside Australia, of any business or activity that is incidental to:(a) the supplying of postal services under section 14; or
(b) the carrying on of any business or activity under section 15.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the functions of Australia Post
include the carrying on, within or outside Australia, of any
business or activity that is capable of being conveniently carried
on:(a) by the use of resources that are not immediately required in
carrying out Australia Post’s principal or subsidiary function;or
(b) in the course of:
(i) supplying postal services under section 14; or
(ii) carrying on any business or activity under section 15.
Including the four at the counter, there were thirteen customers in front of me. Only one was there to conduct postal service business from what I could see. This makes a mockery of the Act. Australia Post and the Government, its sole shareholder, are Abusing the Act to take business from newsagents.
Federal Parliament passed the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 behind which Australia Post hides so it is up to Parliament to decide if they want the economic harm being wreaked on small businesses like newsagents by Australia Post to continue.
The Government has demonstrated disinterest through several ministers. Only the Greens through Senator Bob Brown and the Democrats through Senator Andrew Murray have demonstrated concern for how much Australia Post is encroaching on the business of newsagents.
The Act is where this problem begins and ends and only parliamentarians can solve that. Whether they do or not will be a test of their interest in small business.
Who is the best person we could all write to regarding Aust Post encroaching in our territory? It is an election year, we should all write to the government, otherwise they will do nothing again. Any suggestions?
Louise,
The Minister for Communications, Helen Coonan, is the best point of contact.
It’s about time that small business who have faithfully voted for the Tories for years because that nice Mr Menzies/Holt/Gorton/McMahon/Fraser/Howard is so respectable woke up. The fact is the Liberals (and most of the ALP) don’t give a rats about small business (except perhaps in the case of pharmacists who are so featherbedded that they can make large donations to the Liberal party – but even that favoured groups is being threatened by the clout of the supermarkets).
I know that a lot of small business people can’t stomach some of The Greens’ social policies but they do have some well thought out small business policies and perhaps they should look to voting tactically or consider supporting credible independents like Andren (and a couple of the Qld independents).
I agree re the ALP and Liberals. Neither has demonstrated an understanbding of the needs of small business. On the Greens, at least they engage to understand a problem before forming a view.
I saw the Al Gore movie about Global Warming on the weekend – the Greens have a lot going for them.