Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda

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POSTAL INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN BILL 2005

                                  2004-2005


               THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA


                          HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES



                     POSTAL INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN BILL 2005



                    SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM



              Amendment to be moved on behalf of the Government



Amendment (1) omits proposed subsection 19ZA(2A) in item 11 of Schedule 1
to the Bill.  The effect of subsection 19ZA(2A) is to make it mandatory for
private postal operators that comprise 20 or more employees and have an
annual turnover threshold greater than $1,000,000 to apply in writing to
the Postal Industry Ombudsman (PIO) to be registered.  The effect of
Amendment (1) would be to allow all private postal operators to register
voluntarily with the PIO scheme.

The Government amendment returns the Bill to its original form.  The
original form of the Bill, which provides for voluntary registration, is a
more appropriate mechanism for private postal operator participation in the
new scheme, and balances the rights of the consumer to independent
arbitration against the known level of complaint and the cost and
complexity of implementing a new scheme.




   (Circulated by authority of Senator the Hon. Helen Coonan, Minister for
            Communications, Information Technology and the Arts)