SUBJECTS: Privatisation within Australia Post; backflip on delivery of perishables.

LEON BYNER, HOST: Anthony, has the Government ruled out selling off parts, or all, of Australia Post?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: The truth is that they had a secret report, that we only know because of Christine Holgate's evidence to the Government, about flogging off the profitable fractions of Australia Post. That would have also resulted in the closure of some 150, at least, post offices, and the sacking of 8,000 workers, reducing the workforce. We know this because Christine Holgate gave evidence before the Senate committee last week. And we know that the Government tried to keep it a secret by pretending this was a Cabinet-in-Confidence document. Just appalling. And Australia Post are an essential service. They are owned and belong to all Australians. And we rely upon it. For goodness sake, if it operates just for private interest, what we will have is just those commercial activities occur and the basic delivery of a letter, you and I, and to your listeners, we will not be a priority at all.

BYNER: You know what I find out about this, Anthony Albanese, is that in the last year or so, Australia Post has done exceptionally well in the parcel department with profits. Why would you want to touch it? Why wouldn't you just leave it alone because it's managing? And see, what it can do, if there are parts of it that are losing, it can cross-subsidise.

ALBANESE: Of course. That's why you have an essential service, like post, in public hands. So that it can occur. So that the person who might be listening to this in a remote area of South Australia can get access to services. If you do it just on a commercial basis, then you'll have a whole change in the way that a business like Australia Post operates. And they have been doing well in terms of their profit margin, they have been doing well in terms of the growth of parcel deliveries during the pandemic, in particular when we bought things online. The idea though, if you sell off the profit of these things, guess what? Then when you get to it being unprofitable, the Government says, 'We've got to flog that because it's costing us money'. And you just end up with people suffering in terms of having access to an essential service. It's a really, really dumb idea. Just like the idea of banning the delivery of perishables was a dumb idea, particularly for our regional agricultural producers.

BYNER: That was embarrassing for them and had to be backflipped because even the Government thought, 'Not a good look'. So do you think, as a result of all the furore, which I think was justified, they are going to give up on this flogging off parts of it? So do you think they've given up the idea of getting rid of parts, or all of it, because of the fact that people will not be happy with this? I think they would know that, wouldn't they?

ALBANESE: Of course. But I think what they will be looking at now is just deferring it and keeping it a bit quiet until after the federal election. You only commission a report about flogging something off if you have an intention to do so. And the Australia Post board has been stacked with the former Liberal Party National Director, former Queensland LNP Director, it is all political appointments by this Government. And the idea that they would commissioned this report from Boston Consulting without having due negotiation or discussion with their political masters who have appointed them to those core positions is not credible. And that's why Christine Holgate was so strong in her evidence. And that's why, just two days ago, I addressed, along with Michelle Rowland and the union, workers at the Australia Post Centre, the exchange at Alexandria, and right around the country. I think we need a considerable campaign to say, 'Hands off Australia Post' when it comes to privatisation.

BYNER: Albo, thank you.

ENDS