Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the committee agrees to the amendment made by the House of Representatives to the bill.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition will not insist upon this amendment. I seek leave to incorporate a statement on behalf of Senator Conroy.

Leave granted.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The incorporated statement read as follows—

Labor supports the introduction of a Postal Industry Ombudsman.

It is a policy that we took the last federal election.

Consumers should have access to a low cost, simple procedure to resolves disputes with postal operators.

It is regrettable that the Government has decided to reject these amendments because they would have resulted in a better scheme.

The Ombudsman that will be established under this bill will only have jurisdiction over Australia Post and any other operator that chooses to join the PIO scheme.

Of course Australia Post is the largest postal operator in this country but there are several other large firms competing in the market.

Firms like Toll Holdings, DHL, UPS, Allied Express and TNT compete vigorously in the parcel and courier markets.

Labor’s amendments which were endorsed by the Senate last March would have broadened the scope of the Ombudsman scheme to capture all large postal operators.

I am talking here about companies with more than 20 employees or turnover of more than $1 million.

It is disappointing that the Government has decided to deny the benefits of the ombudsman to consumers and businesses that use the services of large private postal operators.

While Labor remains of the view that the Government’s ombudsman scheme is flawed, we do not intend to try and delay the passage this bill.

The Government first promised to establish a Postal Industry Ombudsman nearly 4½ years ago before the 2001 election.

This is a reform that is long overdue.

Labor will monitor the operation of the scheme and will strengthen it if necessary after the next election.

Question agreed to.

Resolution reported; report adopted.