Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson. Obviously, a number of these types of matters are ultimately decisions for the board of Australia Post rather than for the government of the day, because it does have a degree of independence. However, we are concerned about the number of outlets that are available, particularly in rural and regional areas, and I know that this is an issue that you've taken up in the past, Senator Hanson.

Currently, Australia Post, for instance, has about 4,300 retail outlets across the country and it has a legislated net requirement to maintain at least 4,000 retail outlets. As I was saying, I recognise—and I think that everyone in our government recognises—that these post offices play a key role in communities around Australia. As I've already reflected, this is particularly true in regional Australia, where we often find that it's the Australia Post outlets which also serve as the bank and even offer a range of government services. I know that these issues— (Time expired)