Paragraphs 14 through 16 of Division 1 or Part 2 of the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 document the functions of The Australian Postal Corporation, better known as Australia Post:
14 Functions—the principal function
The principal function of Australia Post is to supply postal services
within Australia and between Australia and places outside Australia.15 Functions—subsidiary function
A subsidiary function of Australia Post is to carry on, outside Australia, any business or activity relating to postal 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.
I am curious how Australia Post’s aggressive move into the retailing of office products, greeting cards, telco recharge, Western Union money transfer and bill payment fits into the functions provided for under the Act. The only means I can see is if they are using resources “not immediately required in carrying out Australia Post’s principal or subsidiary function”.
This is a Corporation created by the Government to regulate the manufacture, distribution and retail of postal services. Selling office products is not incidental to the provision of postal services. Nor the sale of greeting cards etc. Not by any reasonable definition of incidental.
The recent move by Australia Post to licence its brand name for use or to have manufactured goods under its brand name is even further from being incidental to the provision of postal services.
I am no lawyer but it seems to me that Australia Post is operating considerably outside the provisions of the Act. It is doing this to the detriment of, primarily, independently owned small businesses.
I would like to see a public inquiry into Australia Post and all of its non postal service operations. Australia Post needs to be accountable for the extent of its commercial dealings as does the government which has overseen its massive corporatisation and expansion.
In writing about Australia Post I run the risk of alienating the many newsagents who operate Licenced Post Offices. I have no quarrel with them since they run broader businesses of which their Post Office counter is part. No, my quarrel is the Australia Post corporate stores and their direct competition with retail newsagencies like mine at Forest Hill in Victoria.