Some light reading for the wee hours....
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environme...
Not all submissions have been made public, so this is a selection you can access. Don't look for ours, its out the back!
How fantastic to see a parliamentarian telling the parliament the clear and unequivocal issues facing the LPOs across Australia.
Financial stress and financial crisis can lead to a personal crisis. If you are feeling overwhelmed, there are services that are equipped to deal with depression, anxiety and serious personal crisis.
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Submissions have closed for the Senate Inquiry scheduled for 11/12/2013. Many Licensees exercised their voice by contacting their local MP's and Senators which drew political concern for our issues. These Licensees plus the ones who made submissions to the Senate Inquiry are to be admired for their courage to speak up.
Recent support for LPOGroup from Licensees who were previously hesitant to support such a young industry group has been most heartening. Because of this additional support, we now have an even broader view of the challenges that face LPOs both regional and metro outlets in all states.
These challenges have been documented and submitted to the Senate Inquiry. There are also a number of individual submissions that have been made by LPOs.
Visit: www.aph.gov.au
On 14 November 2013, the Senate referred the following matters to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 December 2013:
(a) the overall performance, importance and role of Australia Post in Australian communities, and the challenges it faces in the immediate and longer term;
(b) the operations of Australia Post in relation to Licensed Post Offices (LPOs), with particular reference to:
(i) the importance and role of the LPO network in the Australian postal system, with particular reference to regional and remote areas,
(ii) the licensing and trading conditions applicable to LPOs, including the Community Service Obligations, and any effects these may have on operating an LPO business, and
(iii) marketing, retail and trading arrangements between Australia Post and LPOs and other entities; and
(iv) any related matters.
Australia Post corporate sales staff are visiting business that currently deal with LPO's and even offering movie tickets to businesses we already service in an attempt to lure them away from doing business with their local Licensed Post Office.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon for South Australia, LNP Senator Ron Boswell for Queensaland and DLP Senator John Madigan for Victoria have come to the rescue of the Licensed Post Office Network.
Today, LPOG met with the Federal Minister for Communications, The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, at Parliament House in Canberra to raise the serious concerns and ongoing issues facing many Licensees and LPO's and compromising the ongoing viability of the LPO network, and the integrity of the coal face of Australia Post in communities all over the nation. LPOG is overjoyed to report that the Minister understood the message we delivered.
Following the successful LPOG meeting in SA, Senator Nick Xenophon and LPOG Chairperson have been interviewed by the media regarding the issues that Licencees face. Carded Articles is not out only issue, but it is our "foot in" with a wider audience as it is easily explainable and demonstrable. From that issue we can expand to the gross underpayments over the last 20 years of neglect.
We are looking to update this list, so if you have heard of recent closures please add to the list.
LPOG would like to check on the level of decline over the last 12 months. There are many Licensees feeling that closing is the best option and this adds to the very real need to restore the commercial viability to the LPO network in an effort to stop the rot. LPOG intends to turn this trend around and give Licensees back a steady income and a bright future once again.
Some interesting news for struggling Licensees buried under all the parcels. Click here for full article: 
The Australian 7 November 2013.JPG
An Australia Post spokeswomen suggest that selling reloadable cards, travel insurance and confectionery will help offset all the unpaid work Licensee do to help bolster the CEO's bonus structure.
