Labor must protect regional communities in Australia Post Review

Joint media release with
The Hon David Coleman MP
Shadow Minister for Communications

2 March 2023

The Labor Government’s Postal Services Modernisation Discussion Paper must not be used as a pretext for Labor to leave regional and rural Australia without essential services.

Around Australia, thousands of small businesses operate Post Offices through the Licensed Post Office and Community Postal Agency Models. These make up part of the more than 2,500 Post Offices in regional and rural Australia that provide their communities with services beyond simply mail and packaging. For example, many individuals and small businesses in the regions rely on Australia Post Offices for Bank@Post for banking services where there are no major bank branches.

Labor must not betray the regional communities who rely on these Post Offices. The Coalition will always stand up for regional Australia.

Labor must also explain its blatant hypocrisy on the delivery of letters to Australians. In June 2020, then Shadow Minister for Communications claimed that proposed changes to letter deliveries would put “one in four posties in limbo” and should be stopped. But today, Minister Rowland signalled Labor is considering this very thing by putting “the current letters service speed or frequency of delivery requirements” on the table in the Discussion Paper. 

Labor must explain this backflip, how many jobs will be affected, and how it will ensure that Australians that want to use the mail will continue to be serviced.

Australia Post delivers essential services to communities across Australia. This review must not be used as a Trojan horse leave Australians worse off.