POST OFFICES — OPERATING HOURS
863. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
I refer the Premier to the amended
opening hours for Australia Post offices in certain parts of the state,
initiated as part of our COVID response, and particularly to those outlets that
have, for almost two years now, been closed to the public on a Saturday.
(1) Does the
McGowan government agree that our post offices, particularly in rural
communities, provide a valuable community hub around which we can build and
deliver services during this and any future pandemic?
(2) Will the
Premier commit, in his role as a key member of the national cabinet, to lobby
the federal government to rescind the COVID
regulations that have allowed post offices to remain closed on a Saturday
and encourage the reinstatement of normal operating hours as soon as is
reasonably practicable?
The PRESIDENT: Before I give
the Leader of the House the call, I was contemplating that. I think the first
part of that question seeks an opinion, but I will leave it to the
Leader of the House to attempt to provide an answer if one is available.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
Thank you for the guidance,
President. It is the case today that a number of the questions have requested
opinions, so members might want to take note of that.
The PRESIDENT: I am alert to
that.
Hon SUE ELLERY: I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) Australia
Post is a corporate commonwealth entity, and operational decisions regarding
the location and timing of its services are a matter for its board or the
Australian government. Notwithstanding that, the WA government recognises the
importance of post offices, particularly in rural communities, and the role
they play as an essential service provider, and it supports any action to
improve access to these services.