Monday, 15 June 2020
Ms RISHWORTH (Kingston) (16:30): For some time we’ve heard governments and people talking about the idea of cutting the number of postal deliveries in the community. It’s disappointing that the Morrison government have now used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to cut the services of Australia Post and, in its wake, cut jobs. It’s disappointing that in April the government relaxed service standards, reducing letter delivery to every second day rather than daily, halving the delivery and leading to significant delays. It’s disappointing that even in the face of criticism the government continues to pursue this.
I’ve been speaking to posties right around my own electorate—as many of us have been at home, we’ve been having a chat to them—and one postie told me of the fear they have about losing their jobs. She said: ‘We will be expected to fit two days worth of letters and a full day’s worth of parcels onto our motorcycles, on top of what’s known as “householders”. I can’t see how we’re going to manage it all. We simply won’t have time to get it done.’ This rips an important essential service away from so many who rely on it—those who are isolated, those in rural and regional areas, older Australians. It is disappointing that the government have used the cover of COVID, and we demand that they put the service back.
