Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for communications. Did the minister think about isolated, vulnerable and older Australians who rely upon postal services to stay in touch with their families and friends before he reduced postal deliveries to those who need them most?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. You know that there's a by-election on when Labor turns to the old scare campaign, and the scare campaign they're going on about this time is Australia Post and delivery times. The facts are very clear that Australia Post has seen a sharp increase in the percentage of parcels that are being delivered and a sharp decrease in the number of letters that are being delivered. That is why we have provided temporary fixed-term regulatory relief to Australia Post so that it is able to redeploy posties from the area of the business where activity is going down to the area of the business where there is growth so as to secure the employment of posties and to provide Australians with the service that they expect. During the COVID-19 pandemic, what we have seen is a dramatic increase in the number of parcels being delivered because Australians are ordering more and more using e-commerce. Australia Post is far and away the market leader in delivering parcels. To be able to meet the needs of Australians to have parcels delivered, Australia Post has come to the government and proposed this short-term regulatory relief, and that is what we've agreed to.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

I hear the Leader of the Opposition say that they couldn't employ more people. Actually, they are employing more—600 more for parcels. This is really another case of a typical Labor by-election scare campaign. The facts are not substantiated by their claims. We have a Leader of the Opposition who's under pressure. He's under pressure from the member for Rankin; Chalmers plays the long game.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just say to the minister that he's now straying from the question.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These are highly relevant considerations.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This question was about isolated, vulnerable and older Australians who rely upon their postie to deliver letters to them. He hasn't mentioned any of them. He's just playing politics. He hasn't mentioned any of them.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will just say to the Leader of the Opposition, as he well knows, it's not incumbent on those answering the question to mention particular words from the question. The minister is in order.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're all concerned about isolated and vulnerable Australians, such as the isolated and vulnerable Leader of the Opposition. We've got the member for Rankin. He's in his safe place, running in the Daisy Hill Conservation Park, and of course the member for Maribyrnong is also. He should be very worried when they all start running.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the minister will resume his seat.

An honourable member interjecting—

He is finished—too right!