Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In September this year I moved a private member’s motion in this place, calling on Telstra to reconsider its decision to introduce an administrative fee of $2.20. I am pleased to report to the parliament that that decision has now been reversed. In fact, Telstra wrote to me in early November to say that after listening to feedback from valued customers they have decided to discontinue the fee.

The constituents that lobbied me in my electorate who were really concerned about this unfair and unjust fee are really pleased with this decision. I understand that the change will be implemented by Telstra over the next few months and that they will automatically refund all people who have paid that $2.20 administration fee. I would like to put on record my thanks to David Thodey for listening to the local community. I would also like to support Telstra’s call for its competitors to remove similar administration fees and charges that are currently placed on their customers in local communities. I think that any fees or charges that people have to pay for actually paying in cash are unfair and unjust. I do not think that they have a place in Australian society today.