I’ve seen a letter from Communications Minister Helen Coonan to a colleague last week in which ducks and weaves about the impact the Australia Post is having on small business. When queried about the impact of the 850 or so Government owned stores, Coonan talks about Australia Post’s 3000 licenced owned post offices and completely ignores the government owned stores.
The government hides constantly behind the privately owned LPOs which it is the government owned stores which pull in the big dollars. It is the government owned stores which are sucking millions of dollars away from the newsagent channel. My own store is a perfect example. The government competes with me for the sale of stationery, calendars, greeting cards, ink and toner – none of which relates to, in my view, products and services allowed under the Act.
This government needs to wake up to itself. Australia Post is using the respected Australia Post brand and its government ownership to steal business from small businesses like mine. My profits are down as a result. This impacts the tax I pay. It impacts how many people I can employ.
The lack of interest by the Government on this matter is a disgrace.