Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 1:11:43 to 1:16:31
Discussion regarding the announced retirement of Australia Post CEO Paul Graham and procedural frustrations over late document delivery.
Topics: Workplace culture, Integrity
Speakers: Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Mr Jim Betts, Senator Varun Ghosh, Unknown Speaker
Yeah, well, it as I've already said the Minister has not answered my questions which were not given to WIPIA. I've already read out what she provided to IPM Minister. I can appreciate you're the representing Minister. um disappointing. Um I just want to turn to the resignation of Mr Graham. Have you been uh are you able to comment on the resignation of Mr. Graham? Was he encouraged to resign at all? Do you know?
Uh I'm not sure in the corporate matters for the departments since uh Australia Post is a government business enterprise, but I had a call.
No, but to the extent of your knowledge.
I had a I had a call from um the Chair of Australia Post um to give me uh advanced notice that um Mr. Graham um was planning to announce his retirement from the Australia Post position, I think affected mid-2027. Um in that call she um commented on how sad she was that Mr. Graham um stepping down from that position that he had an excellent um track record of delivering reform in Australia Post. I believe those sentiments have been echoed by Minister Wells. So I don't think there is any suggestion in any informed quarter that um Mr. Graham was pushed in any way. This is a personal decision that he's made that um we respect, and I've always found Paul to be an excellent colleague.
Uh are you aware of the the controversy in relation to evidence that he's given to this committee?
Uh not in detail, no, but some of my staff will no doubt be across that.
Uh have you has there been any concerns raised about the evidence that he's given, which you know I have consistently raised concerns about the misleading nature of some evidence that Mr. Graham has given to this committee?
Well, uh my main focus is on ensuring that I and my staff give accurate and full information to the committee. I really can't comment or respond to views that you might have on witnesses for organisations of which I'm not a part.
Uh do you support or does the government support Australia Post proposal in relation to the trial?
I'm assuming we have five now.
Well, I'm just trying to understand the more of the department's position, though.
Well, that's not a corporate meeting.
All right, so fair enough. I can I can return to that. Um look, I we've got a lot of other documents that we need to look at, some of which may be relevant to corporate. Um with the chair's indulgence, because these documents have landed and there are around about I think there are around about 30 different sets of documents. Uh I would be happy to move to outcome five on the basis that if there are matters that I do need to raise which but potentially sit within corporate if you are happy to answer and address those questions and we won't proceed like that for this reason.
I understand your frustration on this occasion, um, but in the estimates process we work through the programme. There are a number of different occasions when information comes in at different stages. I don't want to get to a point where every Senator has uh an outcome that they want to hold over and come back to because logistically it just won't work. I appreciate that you're frustrated with the delivery of the timing of this information. Uh but as we do in any number of different outcomes and different topics, um we will be back in February again with a full opportunity to forensically examine it if you wish. But I'm not going to hold over a topic. Uh we can stay on it, obviously, for as long as you want. Uh, but that then obviously has consequences for the rest of the programme. But in terms of how Senate estimates processes run and the reason we have programs, I just don't think it would be logistically possible or feasible to continually move outcomes around with people across any number of different topics. This actually occurs a bit in estimates when information is provided. So that's not uh something that's going to be available. Um but I appreciate and and I recognise your frustration.
Yeah, well, Chair, it's more than that. It's it's just completely unacceptable that I'm trying to manage and look through these documents and uh weighed through them right now when they were meant to have been delivered to this committee by the 17th of July. It's more than a hundred days overdue.