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Australia Post and the Mint targeted in privatisation push Australia Post and the Mint targeted in privatisation push
(4 months later)
Privatisation Privatisation is back on the federal agenda, with the Commission of Audit proposing the sell-off of nine major government entities – including Australia Post, and the money printing service, the Australian Mint.
is back on the federal agenda, with the Commission of Audit proposing the The new report contends the commonwealth now has about $13bn of equity tied up in government business enterprises.
sell-off of nine major government entities – including Australia Post, and the It reasons that all commonwealth bodies which operate in "contestable markets" should be considered for their future privatisation potential. It also questions whether privatised businesses should have ongoing community service obligations to the community. Entities like Australian Post fund their community service obligations, such as providing postage at uniform rates, by cross subsidy.
money printing service, the Australian Mint. The Commission of Audit has laid down a specific timetable for privatisations that would see five government bodies on the chopping block between now and the next election due in 2016.
The The first five would be Australian Hearing, Snowy Hydro, the National Electricity Market, the Defence Housing Authority, and the Australian Submarine Corporation.
new report contends the commonwealth now has about $13bn of equity tied up in Post-election, the commission proposes the privatisation of Australia Post, the Moorebank Intermodal terminal, the Australian Rail Track Corporation, the Australian Mint and the car service for politicians, Comcar.
government business enterprises. Long term, the national broadband network is also slated for privatisation.
It The report also envisages a wave of consolidations of public services, policy and program functions, and agencies within government. It says seven bodies should be abolished, a further 35 bodies should be merged, and 22 bodies should be absorbed into agencies.
reasons that all commonwealth bodies which operate in "contestable It proposes, for example, a single command structure for border control – Border Control Australia – rather than the current system, which sees the functions shared between immigration and customs.
markets" should be considered for their future privatisation potential. It There is a proposal to merge some federal law enforcement functions into the Australian Crime Commission; merge a plethora of tribunals into the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal; consolidate the various federal ombudsmen into a single, over-arching ombudsman; and merge most big arts organisations – including the Australia Council and Screen Australia – into a single entity.
also questions whether privatised businesses should have ongoing community The commission also proposes the federal court and the family court be merged, and the Australian Law Reform Commission be absorbed into the Department of the Attorney General.
service obligations to the community. Entities like Australian Post fund their Controversially, the report also floats the outsourcing of Australia's entire transfer payments system – a move that would see lead to the service delivery agency Centrelink being replaced by private operators.
community service obligations, such as providing postage at uniform rates, by The report points to some benefits from this course of action, though it does suggest this degree of outsourcing is a "substantial and potentially risky undertaking”.
cross subsidy.
The
Commission of Audit has laid down a specific timetable for privatisations that
would see five government bodies on the chopping block between now and the next
election due in 2016.
The
first five would be Australian Hearing, Snowy Hydro, the National Electricity
Market, the Defence Housing Authority, and the Australian Submarine
Corporation.
Post-election,
the commission proposes the privatisation of Australia Post, the Moorebank
Intermodal terminal, the Australian Rail Track Corporation, the Australian Mint
and the car service for politicians, Comcar.
Long
term, the national broadband network is also slated for privatisation.
The
report also envisages a wave of consolidations of public services, policy and
program functions, and agencies within government. It says seven bodies should
be abolished, a further 35 bodies should be merged, and 22 bodies should be
absorbed into agencies.
It
proposes, for example, a single command structure for border control – Border
Control Australia – rather than the current system, which sees the functions
shared between immigration and customs.
There
is a proposal to merge some federal law enforcement functions into the
Australian Crime Commission; merge a plethora of tribunals into the Australian
Administrative Appeals Tribunal; consolidate the various federal ombudsmen into
a single, over-arching ombudsman; and merge most big arts organisations –
including the Australia Council and Screen Australia – into a single entity.
The
commission also proposes the federal court and the family court be merged, and
the Australian Law Reform Commission be absorbed into the Department of the
Attorney General.
Controversially,
the report also floats the outsourcing of Australia's entire transfer payments
system – a move that would see lead to the service delivery agency Centrelink
being replaced by private operators.
The report points to some benefits from this
course of action, though it does suggest this degree of outsourcing is a
"substantial and potentially risky undertaking”.