Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Kitching, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) Australia is in recession,

  (ii) 520,000 workers have lost their jobs, over a million Australians are unemployed, and families are struggling to pay their bills,

  (iii) on 31 March 2020, the Australia Post Chief Executive Officer (CEO) declared senior management would take 20% wage cuts and forsake any right to a bonus this year,

  (iv) on 28 August, the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported that the CEO had secretly reversed course and asked the Board to reinstate up to $7 million in senior executive bonuses, contradicting her statement in March,

  (v) on 2 September, the SMH reported that Australia Post had asked workers to volunteer to deliver parcels in their own cars, rather than hiring new workers, and

  (vi) on 2 September, the Minister for Communications claimed that foregoing executive bonuses should be a quid pro quo for being granted permission to cut services;

(b) considers it highly inappropriate that the CEO has sought to obtain millions in executive bonuses in the midst of a recession and service cuts, and in contradiction of promises made in March; and

(c) calls on the Chair of Australia Post to wake up and stop this inappropriate handout from proceeding.